Iron Hammer of Justice
by CSpacian
Summary: Join Alexander, a captain of the Marines, on his journey to promote Justice. But what exactly is he? Is he human? No, he is the one and only IRON HAMMER OF JUSTICE! OC's accepted.
1. Chapter 1 The Iron Hammer

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the canon characters (that may or may not appear).

**The Fiesta Pirates Feel the Iron Hammer of Justice!**

There was a nice salty sea breeze out today. It blew the life raft, _OneDecade,_across the sea. The raft held all of the essentials, food, water, a warm blanket, and the like. The raft, originally designed to hold 10 people comfortably in case of emergencies now only held one. It was a nineteen year-old boy with dark blue hair. He wore a dark black uniform with gold tinted edges on the shoulders and the zipper.

He sighed and leaned back, allowing his dark blue eyes to gaze straight up at the skies. It was slow going on this small raft with only one emergency sail. The island was still coming up and he could see quite clearly now. It was only on the horizon straight ahead. With the sail fully extended and the wind blowing like this he'd be there in a matter of minutes.

Some water lapped his shoulder and he jumped straight up. He felt his shoulder and its wetness. The water out here was cold, swimming seemed like an interesting idea. He was half-tempted to do just that, take off swimming for the island, his raft would catch up with him. But he knew better...Rule #2 all contact with water must be avoided.

The wait to the island was boring. He had barely just woken up when what do you know! He decided to escape. His first moments awake were spent waiting. He was so happy when he finally felt his feet firmly on the soil. The sand beneath his feet was soft and damp. It nearly sucked him into its earthy grasp.

He pulled his leg out of the soil and made his way through the beach and to the city. The shops along the way all seemed friendly a few weirdos here and there. Some of them selling stupid things like amulets that find your true love and stuff like that, but nothing worthy of his attention.

The place looked like a festival, though. Banners that read 'The Fiesta Pirates have docked in your home town' and 'Nothing is wrong with a little fiesta' were hung from the poles. Something in one of the shops caught his eye it was a small black beret. He flipped it around and placed onto his head. A perfect fit! He looked at the price tag. 1000 belies. The man dug into his pockets and pulled out some lint and a small paper square. He was broke!

He sighed and put the hat back. No hat for him today. Maybe he could go down to the local bar and...he sighed. Drinks cost money. Maybe he'd join in on the party going around here. He started to head out into the center of town. There seemed to be some kind of fireworks coming from that general directions. Or at least explosions. Either way he could find something interesting there.

He went into the plaza and looked around. There were people conga dancing and having a general good time from the looks of things. There was also a large group of people in the middle of the plaza. They all wore a similar patch of clothing on some part of their body. It was a small patch of black cloth with a skull and crossbones design to it, except instead of crossbones they each had a maraca behind the skull. One of the men had a gun in his hand and had it pointed into the sky. He fired another bullet into the sky. Damn, he was hoping for fireworks.

The party seemed to be focusing on these people. A large amount of people were coming from their houses with plates of food and people were singing in front of these people. Were these guys the fiesta pirates? He hoped so, if they went through all this trouble of bringing a party to these people, it was nice that they were receiving some food. Food. When was the last time ate? Heck, who cares! He wasn't hungry.

He walked around the plaza trying to decide what to do. They were a group of people playing at the dunk tank. There was also the conga line, not to mention they also had some target practice using some of the old and empty alcohol glasses.

He was about to walk up and join in with the conga line when a man ran into the plaza. "There's a Marine boat on the beach! There's a Marine in town!" He too had a black piece of cloth with their skull and crossbones design on it.

The entire group of pirates tensed up. Everyone with Jolly Roger on their body started to head down to the beach to find the Marine.

The nineteen year-old stood there for a second and decided to head down after them. A fight between a Marine and pirates was bound to be interesting. He followed them back down to the beach he came from.

The beach was unoccupied, except for a single lifeboat, the _OneDecade._The Fiesta pirates swarmed it and looked it all over, finally the boy spoke up.

"That's my boat," he said as he stood on the beach watching them. Man, he was looking forward to the fight. Looked like there wouldn't be one.

One of the pirates with a big beard turned around to him, "I am the captain of this crew, amigo*. What's your name?"

The boy stood still for a moment thinking, "Alexander. I'm sorry, but I don't think we've met yet."

"Alexander que**?" asked the pirate. "That all you got, amigo?"

"I'm sorry, but if we just met how can we friends?" asked Alexander.

"Got a surname, amigo?" asked the pirate becoming increasing frustrated with the man.

"I don't know," said Alexander, "do I need one?"

The pirate groaned. He kicked the boat, "you said this was yours, ami...you said this was yours, right?"

"Yeah," said Alexander, "_OneDecade._Its been mine for a week now."

"A week," chuckled the pirate, "me and mi amigos*** have been pirates for five months now...you think one fresh water Marine like you got a chance against us?"

"I'm sorry," said Alexander, "I'm new to this whole...talking to people concept. A chance against you in what exactly?"

"A fight!" shouted the pirate as he brought his gun up and pointed it at Alexander. His gun's barrel exploded firing a single bullet off at Alexander. The bullet whizzed through the air until it hit a tree about twenty feet away.

"Yes," said Alexander as he stood back since he ducked underneath the bullet. "I'm actually pretty good in a fight. Why? You wanna go?"

The pirate gritted his teeth, "DON'T YOU PLAY DUMB WITH ME! ALL MEN FIRE!" All of the pirates fired simultaneously at Alexander. The smoke coming from their guns filling the air making their enemy disappear into a cloud of dust and smoke. "I THINK WE GOT HIM BOYS!" shouted the pirate. "No one should cross paths with Henrie, the Gang!"

"I'm going to take that as a 'yes', Henrie-san," said Alexander as he crashed down next to Henrie. He spun around and made a direct kick into Henrie's side sending him tumbling across the bench. "That was a pretty good warm-up! Who's up next?"

The nearest pirate unsheathed a scimitar and charged at Alexander. He made a fake swing at Alexander aiming for his head. Alexander brought his foot up and caught the blade using the bottom of his shoe. The pirate pushed hard trying to get his blade to cut through Alexander's foot but failing. Alexander spun in midair using his foot as an axis to launch another kick using his free foot into the pirate's head.

Alexander looked down at his shoe. "Crap," said Alexander, "now look at what you did! You cut my shoe in two!"

The pirates grimaced and brought their guns up at him. They all fired sending at least thirty bullets in Alexander's direction. Alexander charged forward at them, a bullet slamming into his shoulder, another into his chest, and third one into his upper thigh. None of these bullets did a single thing to slow him down. He slammed his fist into one of their faces sending them backwards into the sand. He spun around raising his leg up into the air launching another kick into one of their stomaches sending them back flying into another pirate knocking them down.

"What's up," shouted one of the pirates, "he's not dying! He got shot multiple times! He should be dead by now, the freak!" Alexander's knee was brought straight up into the pirate's nose cracking and breaking it in one fell swoop. The pirate fell to the ground unconscious.

"He's not human, that's what!" shouted another, "he must be a demon!" Alexander's elbow drove itself into his stomach and then he they brought his hand straight up and into his face, knocking him out.

"Let's get out of here," said the pirates as they all started to rush back to the plaza. Alexander jumped up and swung his leg into the side of the one of the pirate's head sending him flying into the others.

"Sorry," said Alexander, "but a fight ends when all of the men on one side is unconscious." Alexander brought his leg straight up. "So...THAT MEANS ALL OF YOU MUST DIE!" Alexander brought his leg down into the damp sand causing the sand to explode with extreme force.

(-Please wait while the pirates get their butts kicked-)

Alexander was returning to the plaza. Man, those Fiesta pirates were all in serious need of a doctor, what a lousy end to a fight or a party. The villagers were all going to be so annoyed with him. The noise had already died down.

The people were gathered at the entrance to the plaza. They only saw one man returning from the beach, "what happened to the Fiesta Pirates?"

Alexander sighed, he hated passing on bad news. "They are all kind of passed out on the beach," he said sheepishly, omitting the part where he knocked them all out.

"Really," the villagers said before busting out into a hoops and hollers. "Finally, those pirates are going to leave us alone! All night they've been making us make food for them or bring them wine! We are free once more! What can we ever do to repay you?"

Alexander smiled. Apparently he hadn't done anything wrong, the pirates were the bad guys. Nice to know. "Actually there is something you can do for me."

There was a nice salty sea breeze out today. It blew the life raft, _One Decade,_across the sea. The raft held all of the essentials, food, water, a warm blanket, and the like. The raft only had one passenger. It was a nineteen year-old boy, called Alexander, with dark blue hair. He wore a dark black uniform with gold tinted edges on the shoulders and the zipper. On his head was a single black beret.

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><p>*=friend **=what ***=my friends<p>

In case you couldn't tell from the title, Alexander is a Marine. He is currently at a captain rank. The Submit an OC section has been moved to my profile due to complaints and you have to submit characters through PMs. Below is a list to tell you how far this story has actually gotten thus far as well as how many slots are open.

Captain: Filled

Navigator: Filled

Gunslinger: Filled

Chef: Filled

Doctor: Empty

First Mate: Empty

Archaeologist: Empty

Shipwright: Empty

Musician: Empty

Thief: Empty

Chore Boy: Empty

Helmsman: Empty

Others? (In case I have forgotten anything)

Fleet Admiral: Taken

Admiral: (Two Needed)

Shichibukai: (One needed maybe more depending on how the story goes)

Vice Admiral: (Four needed)

Yonkou: (Two needed maybe more depending on how the story goes)


	2. Chapter 2 East Lagoon Island

"_East Lagoon Island," _thought Alexander as he put his foot back into soil. He was starting to hate the idea of being a sea unit, times at sea was just too boring. He'd have to find someone to spend time with while he was out at sea. Standing around in a small dinghy by himself was getting to be a chore.

Alexander moved through the streets slowly. The town was quiet and the streets were empty. Not even a single kid was running around the street pretending to be an airplane chasing down random kids. Alexander sighed. BORING!

Alexander stood still as he heard a random footstep. Someone was following him. Alexander turned around to see his pursuer but saw no one. He shrugged it off. Maybe he was becoming paranoid. He continued on his walk through the street, but the feeling that someone was following him never left.

Alexander stopped at a small inn and decided he would rest there for the night. Returning to headquarters tomorrow might not be a bad idea. His first time out was a success, so he would be considered to have done his job. Even if his actual mission was a fail.

Alexander went up to the innkeeper and asked, "how much for a single room?"

The innkeeper looked distracted. He didn't even look at Alexander when he said, "I wouldn't stay on this island if I were you."

Alexander sighed, "I can take care of myself. I am a big boy after all, so I repeat myself: How much for a single room?"

The innkeeper still didn't look directly at him. "200 belies," he looked around slowly and thoughtfully, "just 200 belies for a night."

Alexander's face dropped. He reached into his pocket and searched around for whatever money he had. The people on the last island were kind and gave him his hat for free, they also insisted he took some money, but…he probably spent it all. He pulled it out…a little bit under 200. He couldn't even afford to sleep.

"Sorry," said Alexander, "I just don't have the money…" Alexander thought for a second. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Marine card. It was supposed to be used in case of emergency. Mail birds would take the number on the card to the nearest Marine Base and return with money for the innkeeper. Alexander smiled. This qualifies as an emergency. "But I do have this." He put the card onto the table.

The innkeeper got up and looked at it. It took him a few minutes and then his face lit up at the sight of the card. "You…you are a Marine?" For the first time in the conversation he looked right at Alexander. A light bulb seemed to go off in the innkeeper's head.

Alexander smiled. People never thought he was a Marine, maybe he didn't have the face for it. "Yeah," said Alexander, "I've been at it for a whole week!" He stretched out with a confident smirk on his face.

The innkeeper's face fell. A week? And he was bragging about being a Marine? This kid probably was just a cabin boy for a real Marine sent out to do some shopping or some crap, "So, what rank are you?" The innkeeper asked humoring the boy.

"Me?" asked Alexander, "Just a captain."

The innkeeper fell to the ground. A week… and already he was a captain! Oh! He probably meant he was only a captain for a week. He may be just the kind of man, he'd been looking for. "Oh, I see. You've been a captain for a week. So, how long have you been a Marine?"

"A little over two weeks," said Alexander trying to put his finger on the exact time. He believed it to be for two week, three days, and around 5 hours since he was officially commemorated into the Marines.

The innkeeper collapsed onto the floor. Only two weeks and he was captain…what kind of beast was he? It took most Marines a couple of months, some even took a year, to reach captain rank. True…a few of them quickly became captains in under a month, but those were the famous ones like Monkey D. Garp or Aokiji. The innkeeper quickly took out a piece of paper and scribbled something down on it. He had a mean smile on his face. "Here's your receipt"

"Thanks?" asked Alexander as he took the slip of paper from the man. Did inn's usually give receipts? He didn't think they did…must be a new thing. He stuffed the slip of paper into his pocket. He was about to head for the room, when the innkeeper shouted.

"WAIT! Aren't you going to look at the receipt?" He gestured with his hands.

"No, why should I," said Alexander, "you aren't going to rip me off. You seem like a pretty honest man."

"No," said the innkeeper shouting, "I'm as terrible as they come. I'm very crooked! You should very well look at the receipt to make sure I didn't rip you off."

"No, crook says they are a crook," said Alexander as he laughed a bit at the innkeeper's antics, "crooks are the guys that say they are the hardworking honest men."

"Then I am a hardworking honest man! The most hardworking and the most honest!" shouted the innkeeper. "The receipt says it all!"

Alexander laughed it off and went into the room. The innkeeper seemed like a good fellow, but he also seemed insane. _"No harm in locking the door," _said Alexander as he put the key in and turned it.

Alexander backed off and returned to the bed. He had more important things to think about then a crazy innkeeper. The streets were deserted, something was missing. He didn't see another ship in the harbor, so a pirate wasn't docked here at the moment. He lied back onto the bed and thought for a second. He should've asked the innkeeper he probably would've known something.

His hand went into his pocket. He pulled out all of its content. His small amount of monetary funds, some crumbs from his lunch, his receipt, and a pen. He started to fiddle with the pen as he thought. What else could it be? A ceremony? Nobody got on him about walking in the street. Was there going to be a flood? No, the doors weren't bolted shut. What else could it be? No pirates, no ceremonies, no disaster. He sighed and put his pen down. He picked up the receipt and fiddled with it.

He was about to try to sleep when he noticed handwriting scrawled over it. The first line he could see 'You' and beneath that was 'hel'…that better not be 'You go to hell.' It wouldn't be the first time someone wrote that on a piece of paper and gave it to him. He unfolded. '**You** gotta **hel**p us!'

Alexander sprang to his feet and ran to the door. He fiddled with the lock for a second before he finally managed to open it. He ran out of the room and to the innkeeper. The innkeeper's face lit up.

Alexander wandered over to the counter and looked at the innkeeper, "You are right…I should always look at my receipt." He winked at the man, "so…can you tell me where this paper trail ends?" said Alexander trying to be as discreet as possible.

"Huh?" said the innkeeper.

"Where does the money I give you go to?" said Alexander, "who's pulling the strings?"

"Huh?" repeated the innkeeper.

"What do you need me to do?" said Alexander as he gritted his teeth, so much for being discreet. "Whose head do you need me to bash in?"

"Oh!" said the innkeeper, "that's simple. There's a large mansion down the road. Inside of it is the mountain bandit, Greeto, he isn't very strong, but his bodyguard could slay a hundred men in two seconds! He and his men have imprisoned the good people of this town inside their houses! He must be stopped. Ordinarily I wouldn't suggest a man to go down and fight him unless they had a death wish…but someone of your caliber may just survive."

Alexander smiled. "That's right," said Alexander, "I am an amazing man." Alexander turned around went towards the door.

"Yup, amazingly gullible," said the innkeeper as he stretched out into his chair, "I'll give him a couple minutes head start. Then I'll go collect me boys."

Alexander arrived at the mansion in a few minutes, he knocked on the door. The door swung open up. The room was spacious. It covered more square feet then an ordinary house would. Alexander peered around trying to find the mountain bandit the innkeeper was talking about. He saw no one. Not until a small man waddled out. He looked to be in his forties, but he only stood about four feet tall. He had a large smile that covered up most of his face.

Alexander chuckled at his penguin-like appearance, "are you Greeto?"

"Yup, yup, yup, that be my name!" said the man with a chuckle, "Greeto! The millionaire!"

Just the millionaire? Just like a bandit to say how much money they got, but now how they got it. "I'm sorry, but the good townspeople have voiced a concern about you and I'm here to deliver the message."

"They have! I am terribly sorry! I am all ears for any complaints they have," said Greeto as he began to waddle closer to Alexander. Alexander scooted back.

This man was probably dangerous. He probably had a revolved stashed somewhere on his body. Where it was exactly Alexander had no clue, but his best bet was to keep distance between them. "Yeah, and it the good kind…they want me to eliminate you."

"Oh, dear! That sounds horrible! What did I do?"

Alexander became ticked, _"What a bastard! He pretends he doesn't know what he did to these good people! Its criminals like him that tick me off!" _"Its quite simple, you see, they…" Alexander charged forward and prepared a punch, "HATE YOUR GUTS!" His punch was intercepted by a long pole.

A taller man about five foot nine had emerged in between the two. He was skinny and quite lanky. He was dressed in casual enough clothing, a white T-shirt and blue denim jeans. He had long blonde hair that stretched past his shoulders. Alexander's eyes were focused on his weapon, though.

The weapon was two long sticks that crisscrossed in the middle similar to a plus sign (+). At the ends of each pole was a sharpened stone made for thrusting. The man's hand was in the center were they intersected holding on tightly to it.

"I am Master Greeto's bodyguard, Gyrao," said the man, "please stand down and back away. I have no desire to kill you."

"Same here, buddy," said Alexander, "I have business with the penguin behind you." He continued to press against Gyrao's weapon.

"Penguin! Is that really what people think when they look at me, Gyrao?" asked Greeto.

"Sir," said Gyrao, "this is not the time to be asking such a ridiculous question." He broke the lock first and jumped back a few feet until he was next to Greeto. "I guess there is no turning you around is there?"

"Not until I skin that penguin," said Alexander as he launched a kick for Gyrao's head. Gyrao ducked beneath his kick and ran to the other side of him. Gyrao spun around ready to launch another attack, but Alexander was already on top of him as he fired a punch downward. Gyrao jumped backwards avoiding the blow. He skidded back a few feet.

Alexander landed on the ground safely. He stretched his arm out and started to spin it in circles. Gyrao seemed way too skilled, he had so far blocked one of his attacks and avoided another two. Not many bodyguards he met could do that so far. Alexander charged forward again about to unleash another punch when Gyrao started to spin his weapon around in the air above him.

"Say hello to the special weapon passed down through the Hanamutsu clan! Go, Cross Spear!" Gyrao jumped high into the air still spinning the weapon around in his hand. "**Special Attack! Bisecting Slash!" **Alexander ran to the side to avoid the direct blow. Gyrao didn't stop, instead he rammed one of the ends of his spear into the ground. The sheer force of the attack created shockwaves that ran out in four lines each using the spear as the center point.

Alexander brought his arms up to block, but was blown away by the sheer force of the attack anyway. He was thrown aside helpless by the mere shockwave of the attack! Alexander crashed into the ground and look up. His opponent, Gyrao, was already in the air above him readying himself for another attack.

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><p>That's right Alexander made a quick leap into the Marines earning a title of captain, only problem is it appears the innkeeper it playing him for a fool. Will Alexander sink or swim in the fight with Gyrao? The next chapter says it all! Keep reading and reviewing! Support Alexander!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3 The Crossed Spearman

**Chapter 3: Gyrao, the Crossed Spearman**

Alexander rolled to the side avoiding the downward thrust by Gyrao. Gyrao ignored the fact that he moved and slammed into the ground again. "**Plus One!" **Gyrao spun around and fired a kick from atop his pole at Alexander. His kick rocketed him from his place and out at Alexander. He slammed his heel into Alexander's face forcing Alexander back down to the ground.

Alexander stood up from his position. _"Damn," _thought Alexander, _"So far he has only used two attacks and my body is already giving way underneath the force. This man is stronger then most Marines I know. What training did he undergo?" _Alexander didn't have enough time to ask as Gyrao had hurled his Cross Spear out at him. It was spinning so fast it appeared to be a buzz saw that was coming at Alexander. Alexander leapt out of the way as it skimmed past his feet.

Alexander was about to rush forward a the newly unarmed man, but Gyrao wasn't moving. He was just standing there smiling. Alexander had the sinking feeling in his stomach that something just went horribly wrong. He didn't know what it was until he heard the sound of saw. The Cross Spear spun right into his shoulder cutting a single sliver into his shoulder forcing him to the ground with blood pouring out of his wounds.

Alexander cursed. "Yup, yup, yup! Gyrao's special Cross Spear acts like a boomerang when thrown with sufficient power, yup!" spoke Greeto from his spot. Alexander shot the man a glare, but he didn't even react. He wasn't afraid of anyone as long as Gyrao was fighting on his behalf.

Alexander spun around and faced Gyrao, "so…why is someone of your caliber fighting for someone like Greeto? Why don't you join the Marines? Or become a bounty hunter or something? Does the 'millionaire' pay you a lot?"

"No," said Gyrao, "Greeto saved my life many years ago and until I feel like my debt is paid back to him, I will continue to serve him." Gyrao started to walk towards Alexander.

"Oh, really, and how many innocent lives must you take until you pay back a debt?" said Alexander.

"A man comes into your house, threatens to kill you, and then attacks you?" said Gyrao, "how innocent does that sound?"

"Uh…not at all really," said Alexander.

"So, excuse me for not listening to your false chivalry!" Gyrao leaned in close and thrust one of the ends of his spear at Alexander. Alexander leaned back allowing the spear to go straight over his chest.

"Good," said Alexander, "I hate that speech anyways!" He sprang backwards onto his hands and launched himself using his hands towards Gyrao, effectively landing a single kick on his face.

"Congrats you hit me," said Gyrao as he began to spin his spear in circles again.

"The first of many," said Alexander as he ran towards Gyrao. He fired a single punch straight at Gyrao, but the fist only grazed his cheek. Gyrao brought his spear around hooking Alexander's arm.

"**Special Cross Spear Attack! Plus…!" **Gyrao twisted his body around and tossed Alexander into the air, "**One." **Gyrao slammed his spear's head into his Alexander throwing him to the ground, "**Two." **Finally Gyrao followed him down and rammed his spear into the ground next to him slamming the long extended pole on the side into Alexander's gut, "**Three!"**

Alexander coughed up blood spewing it all over Gyrao's white shirt. Gyrao chuckled and jumped back pulling his spear out of the ground. Alexander coughed again as he brought his body to stand. "I hope you have stronger attacks then that because that was nothing compared to my midair attack." Alexander charged off at Gyrao. **"Sledgehammer Uppercut!" **Alexander twisted around and brought the side of this fist straight up into Gyrao's chin throwing him into the air. Alexander then leapt from the ground and into the air besides him, "**Full-Metal Hammer Heel!" **He said as he brought the back of his foot downwards in axe kick-like motion and into Gyrao's chest sending him flying into the ground.

Gyrao quickly twisted his body off of the ground and back to a standing motion when Alexander landed. "You are right. I don't think my attack packed nearly as much strength as yours did."

"Yup, yup, yup," said Greeto, "Gyrao is so strong he is fine with saying that someone is stronger then him. That's just how strong he is, yup."

"If you say 'yup' one more time I will kill you!" shouted Alexander.

"I'm afraid I can't let you threaten Master Greeto," Gyrao said as he dashed in front of Alexander. He spun his weapon around and used the side of it to fling Alexander down into the ground and then he stood, looming over him. "**Special Attack! Green Crucifer!" **He brought his spear straight down into Alexander's gut. "Now are you ready to retreat quietly?"

"Why would I do so now? I'm just starting to have fun," said Alexander as brought his legs up and wrapped them around Gyrao's waist. "Now into the dirt you go!" Alexander brought his legs down to the ground causing Gyrao to fall to the ground and smash into the clear floor.

"Yup, yup, my floor is in danger if this fight continues any longer," said Greeto not even fearing for Gyrao's life. He still had the utmost confidence in his bodyguard.

"Right…my liege," said Gyrao standing up from the floor. He had some blood dripping from his head, "I will finish this fight quicker."

"No, I'm finishing this fight!" shouted Alexander as he got up close to Gyrao. "**Twin Mallets!" **Alexander brought his left elbow up and into Gyrao's chin causing him to temporarily lose his balance and be brought up into the air. Then Alexander brought his right fist through and into Gyrao's unguarded gut. Gyrao was sent flying through the air due to the force of Alexander's fists.

Gyrao got back up and wiped some of the blood that accumulated on his face off. _"This kid just isn't getting taken down easily. On top of that he knocked my weapon loose from my hand during his last attack…I can't fight without my weapon."_ Gyrao gritted his teeth.

Alexander bent down and picked up Gyrao's weapon. Gyrao's eyes lit up with rage. _"If he breaks my weapon…I'll…I'll…" _he stopped his thoughts of rage when Alexander tossed him his weapon. Gyrao looked at Alexander quizzically. Alexander didn't move an inch towards him. Gyrao bent down and picked up his weapon. "Thanks."

"Wouldn't want to win this fight because you couldn't keep a hold of your weapon now would I?" asked Alexander as he crouched down low preparing for another strike.

"No," said Gyrao, "I guess there is no fun in that." He started to rapidly spin his weapon above his head. Alexander charged at him. Gyrao hurled his weapon out at Alexander. Alexander dodged the buzz saw-like weapon once more and kept on running.

"**Full-Body Hammer!"** said Alexander as he launched his entire body, shoulder first, into Gyrao's body. Gyrao was thrown backwards and skidded along the floor.

Gyrao laid on the floor a second. He didn't have the strength to fight and win against his guy. His strength was too colossal. Gyrao didn't even bother to stand back up. He knew he would be put right back down again by another attack. His weapon still out of reach, "this is just how a fight should be."

Alexander perked his ears up, "what do you mean? It ending with you losing?" Alexander never understood people who were content with losing.

"No, both contenders fighting to their best abilities…only for the battle to end in a draw," said Gyrao from his spot on the floor.

"A draw?" asked Alexander as he walked over to Gyrao, "what do you mean by a…" Alexander words were cut short as the spear made its return trip and buried itself in his right shoulder. Alexander collapsed to the floor.

"That's what I meant by a draw," said Gyrao, unflinching. "Try to kill Greeto with both of your arms cut into."

Alexander couldn't believe it! He had won the fight, he took Gyrao out and laid him out on the floor. But he was sent here to kill Greeto, and now with his arms disabled he couldn't very well do that, now could he? If only someone else could come up here and help him finish his job, then he could kill him, easily at that.

"Hello, there," said a familiar voice as the innkeeper walked in. On his back were two cutlasses. "I'm here to see how the fight is going."

"Not too great," said Alexander, "I can't kill Greeto."

"Oh," said the innkeeper, "that's too bad. If only you could have."

"Wait!" shouted Gyrao as he propped himself up from the ground onto one arm, "he is the guy who told you kill Greeto! He's a bandit!"

"Wait…what?" said Alexander turning his head to the innkeeper.

"That's right the name is Uclaves. See me and my men," said the innkeeper as ten men appeared behind him, "were planning to take over this town and it was a success until we decided to take this mansion. We appeared here to take it, me and my two hundred men, all planning to kill Greeto and take his money."

"Yup, yup, yup," said Greeto, "but then Gyrao protected me!"

"And butchered 100 of my men!" shouted Uclaves, "from then more and more of my men dropped out of my gang! Now its just me and these ten loyal followers! I thought we were done for there was no way we could take this town as long as Gyrao was protecting the mayor."

"I almost killed the mayor of a town!" shouted Alexander, "please forgive me great Marines."

"Yes," said Uclaves, "and it would've worked so much better if you had. Then we wouldn't be having this conversation. You would've left his island hopeless ignorant from the truth. You would've been an unwitting pawn in my grand master plan. Each and every single one of my moves all lead up to this…the final checkmate!"

"Yeah," said Gryao, "must be easy to be the king and watch the pawn do all the real fighting. If you were to fight any other piece on the board you know you would lose!" Gryao quickly checked the distance between him and his weapon, a few feet. If he could just grab his weapon he could easily win.

Uclaves chuckled and walked over to Gyrao's Cross Spear. "Now we just have to make sure you can't kill any more of my men!" He took his sword off of his back and slashed straight through the Cross Spear.

"My weapon! That was my family heirloom! It was passed down through seven generations!" shouted Gyrao.

"Ooh, it must've meant a lot to you, I'm so sorry…NOT!" shouted Uclaves. "Men kill Greeto. I want to wallow in this moment a little while longer, okay?" His men nodded and took off after Greeto. Uclaves started to talk out loud about his plans.

Alexander sighed and looked at Gyrao, "how well can you fight? My arms are pretty much useless right now." Alexander cursed himself for not remembering the fact that Gyrao's spear boomeranged back when thrown.

"Without my weapon?" asked Gyrao, "not too well. I never excelled in martial arts like karate. Besides I'm pretty banged up as it is."

"What weapons can you fight with?" asked Alexander trying to desperately find a way to beat Uclaves.

"Swords, whips, spears, maces, flails, axes," said Gyrao, "the list goes on and on, but unless you can pull one out of thin air. I don't think we have much of a chance." Gyrao laid back down onto the ground accepting his fate. All of Uclaves' men had a sword or a gun, something to kill him with if he got in the way.

"I can get us a weapon," said Alexander, "grab my hand."

Gyrao looked at Alexander as if he was a freak, "I think I'd rather take my chances." Holding hands when they were about to die what kind of idiot would do something like that.

"Just do it!" shouted Alexander, "I have a trick that I only I can do and I would rather do it while someone was holding me!" Uclaves turned back to look at the two. He noticed something was up.

"You sound like a child!" shouted Gyrao, "but I guess I'll trust you!" Gyrao reached out and grabbed Alexander's hand.

Alexander's body began to glow a dark blue color and shrink. His arms and head came together to form a small lump. His legs began to become attached to each other. His entire body was soon one foot long. The interesting difference was that Alexander was now a small dark blue mace.

* * *

><p>First off, puns! The title is a pun as Gyrao is the CROSSED spearman. Meaning either he is feeling crossed or it is a reference to his name. Then Gyrao's attack, the <strong>Green Crucifer, <strong>Crucifer means either one who carries a cross or it means a green cylinder vegetable, like celery!

Also, yes, Alexander does have a Devil Fruit power. The question is what is it? Any guesses? WRONG!

I am sorry for the lack of OCs up to this point, but I promise there will be an OC in the next Chapter.


	4. Chapter 4 The Mace or the Human

**The Human or the Mace?**

**Enter The Dirt Goddess!**

"You ate a Devil Fruit or something kid," said Gyrao as he stood up. "The Kuro-Kuro no mi?"

"Uh…it's a long story," said Alexander. "Long story short I can be a mace, human, or a hybrid between the two." He chuckled to himself recalling all three of his forms.

"I've seen some weird things in my life," said Gyrao, "but I think you are the first human that can transform into a weapon."

"Holy crap!" shouted Uclaves, "did that little Marine brat just become a weapon! I think I just found a new loyal follower! If you follow me I'll pay you…100 belies!" The room went silent.

"Hit him for me, would you?" said Alexander. Gyrao chuckled and nodded as he dashed towards Uclaves. Gyrao spun around and tried to swing the side of the mace into the Uclaves, but missed as Uclaves ducked underneath the swing.

Gyrao jumped into the air and slammed his mace back into the ground. Uclaves jumped back and avoided the heavy swing of the mace. The mace broke the ground creating several broken tiles. Uclaves smirked. Gyrao was too weak to hit him at this speed, but with his injuries he was too slow.

Gyrao jumped back avoiding Uclaves' multiple swings. Gyrao stood still for a second sizing up his opponent before saying, "sorry, but I have more urgent matters to attend to." Gyrao turned around and ran away.

"HAH!" shouted Uclaves laughing loudly from his spot, "I scared away the great Cross Spear wielder Gyrao! I am the champion! No wonder my men follow me! Speaking of my men, I wonder how that fool Greeto…is…holding…up?" The wheels in Uclaves' head started to turn, "DARN YOU, GYRAO!"

"Hey," said Alexander, still in his mace persona, "why did we run away? We could've easily have handled him!"

"Objective number one!" said Gyrao, "protect the target Greeto. Even if we defeated Uclaves if Greeto were to perish during the battle it would still be considered a lost. We need to protect Greeto from his lackeys first, only then do we need to engage in unnecessary combat."

"Unnecessary combat, huh?" said Alexander, "never thought about it like that before. I always considered it to just be fun."

"How did you ever become a Marine?" said Gyrao.

"Long story."

"Is everything about your personal life a long story? What are your parents like?" said Gyrao as he kicked down a door in search of Greeto. Nothing. He began to run down the hall again. This big mansion was working against him right now. If he couldn't find Greeto soon he'd be in big trouble.

"I don't have parents," said Alexander.

"They died or something," said Gyrao as he knocked down another door using Alexander, this time. Another empty room. "Courtyard." He took a turn down another empty hall.

"Long story," said Alexander. His attention became focused ahead. "Hey, Gyrao. That's a dead end in front of us, turn around! We need to find Greeto." The hallway ahead of them had no doors. Directly in front of them, however, was a stained glass window.

"Yeah," said Gyrao as he smashed through the window, "that's what we are doing." He looked down it was about two story drop to the ground, but the good news was that Greeto was in sight now. Gyrao landed on the ground comfortable before standing back up, "hey, Greeto! I'm here now!"

Greeto spun around and began to run back over to him…well, he waddled faster over to him. "Yup, yup, yup, I'm safe now! Hurray!"

"Gyrao!" shouted Alexander in his mace form, "next time warn a guy, before you jump off of the second story! I could've died of a heart attack!"

"Man," said Gyrao, "I really wish when you transformed into this mace you would've lost your mouth, too." One of the men approached him. Gyrao spun around and slammed Alexander into man's ribcage. The man was picked off of the ground and flung due to the momentum.

"Watch where you put me!" shouted Alexander, "I almost touched that vermin's armpit!"

"Don't you ever…" began Gyrao as he brought Alexander into a second man's chin, "SHUT UP!" He brought Alexander back down and into the man's head successfully knocking him unconscious. Gyrao turned to face the rest of his attackers.

"I'm weapon!" shouted Alexander, "I can't punch or kick in this form! I got to do something…sadly, the only thing I can do is talk."

Three of the man simultaneously charged Gyrao and Alexander. Gyrao jumped up into the air above them and started to spin in circles with Alexander on the outer edge. "**Fatal Hammer!" **He smashed Alexander into one of the men's head and then continued his circle bringing both Alexander and the man's head into the person next to him. Then all three of these objects smashed into the third man's head. All three of them went flying across the pavement. Gyrao landed on the ground with grace.

"I'm not feeling *gulp* so well," said Alexander, "I'm not *gulp* used to spinning."

"Don't fail on me, yet," said Gyrao as he charged towards another man. He ran to the side and used the momentum to bring Alexander straight into the man's chest. The man was only thrown a couple of feet, though. "What's up? An attack of that caliber should've sent him flying tens of miles."

"Sorry," said Alexander, "the density of my mace form is directly proportional to how I am feeling. I'm feeling sick due to the spin you just did so I am a little bit weaker right now…I feel sick."

"Great," said Gyrao, "so if you feel sick your attacks become wimpy?"

"And if I feel great my attacks become unstoppable."

"Then get to feeling great," said Gyrao, "we still have four more men to defeat."

"Then start moving," said Alexander, "by the time you bash their heads in I'll be feeling a lot better."

"More trouble for Uclaves, eh?" asked Gyrao, "fine by me!" Gyrao vanished with Alexander in his hand. He suddenly reappeared swinging the mace into another man's skull. The man fell down to the ground in a useless heap. Another man appeared behind Gyrao and was about to bring his sword down to chop him in two, but…

"**Cast-Iron Kill Swing!" **shouted Alexander as he went from his weapon form into his human form. He then brought his leg about and into the man's head sending him flying into the mansion window. Alexander landed on the ground and nearly collapsed, "forgot about my wounds…get a hold of me again, Gyrao!" Alexander shrunk back down to his mace form.

"No problem," said Gyrao as he ran over and picked up Alexander. He spun around and slammed Alexander into the side of another man. The man was sent flying through the skies and into the wall. The building began to crumble. "Crap, Master Greeto isn't going to be happy about this."

"1,2,3…7,8,9…" said Alexander as he began to count the bodies he hit, "I thought there were ten of them." He was trying to figure out how he came up one short.

"Let's see there's the guy you hit in the armpit, then there's chin and head guy, then I took three of them out with one swing, then there was the strike to the chest, the guy I hit in the skull, the guy you took out, and then the guy we just hit…that is only nine…where's number ten?" Gyrao's entire body tensed up as he scanned the area.

"You always take it easy on pirates, don't you?" said a woman's voice.

Gyrao turned around with Alexander in his hand to face the new voice. The voice was emanating from a young woman, about the same age as Alexander. She had long black hair that was in an odd contrast with her pale complexion. She had brown eyes.

Her entire left arm was coated in a mad array of random stones. In that hand she was dragging one of the henchmen, but his entire body was blue, black, and bloody. She dropped him onto the ground in front of Alexander, "this is how you deal with pirates."

A sweat drop appeared on Gyrao's forehead, "friend of yours?"

"Who her?" asked Alexander, "I'd never in a million years be friends with the Dirt Woman." The woman's long and shapely leg came up and smashed into the underside of Alexander's mace body. Alexander was tossed into the air where he returned back to his normal human form.

"The name is Gaia Nyan," said the woman as she looked around, "I was sent here to retrieve you, Alexander, Veri Fresh has a mission he wants to pass down to you…and your crew."

"Its kind of impossible to do that," said Alexander, "I don't have a crew…yet. It's a working process."

Gaia sighed, "Then he'll just assign you a partner."

"Partner!" shouted Alexander as he rebounded up to his feet, "I don't want no partner! Partner means equal! I want someone I can boss around!"

"You have no reason to shout at me," said Gaia, "go shout at Veri Fresh." Her eyes trailed to Gyrao, "have I seen you before?"

Before Gyrao could reply, Uclaves broke out of the house and appeared in front of them. He was wielding his dual scimitars. "Gya? My men all ten of them! They were all taken out! How is that possible?"

"Because!" shouted Alexander, "Justice always prevail!"

"Such a…cheesy line," said Gyrao, "don't you have to learn how to properly talk to villains before you become a Marine?"

"Don't mock my dialogue!" shouted Alexander. He tried to lift his arm up into a fighting position, but it only caused him more pain. "Crap! Hey, Gyrao, I'll need you to use me again."

"Don't bother," said Gaia as she began to approach Uclaves, "he is the infamous pirate 'Scimitar' Uclaves. I'll kill him for you." She leapt from her spot and charged at Uclaves. The stones on her left arm quickly began to protrude and form giant spikes, "**Stone Fists! Titan's Rage!" **She slammed her stone fist into Uclaves' face sending him spiraling backwards.

Uclaves got back up, "okay! Okay! Mercy!" Gaia dashed in front of him again an evil smile on her face.

"There is no such thing as mercy for pirates!" shouted Gaia. She brought her stone fist upwards and into Uclaves' jaw in an uppercut-like fashion. Uclaves went soaring into the sky. Gaia smiled as she walked underneath him. Her hands suddenly began to turn red and black, "**Molten Hands…Caine's Power!" **She wrapped her burning hand around Uclaves' throat and brought him straight down into the ground, but she didn't let go.

Smoke began to arise from Uclaves' throat as she kept her hand wrapped around it. Her evil smile stayed on her face as she continued to add pressure to Uclaves. She pushed down harder and harder with every second that passed.

Alexander brought his knee straight up into Gaia's forehead forcing her to release her grip on Uclaves' throat as she was sent backwards. "Your mission was to retrieve me not to kill Uclaves."

"My mission is always to kill pirates," said Gaia as she stood up, "any pirate that stands in my way and anyone who aids a pirate." Gaia clenched her teeth together as well as her fists as she approached Alexander.

"I'd say mission accomplish then," said Alexander as he kicked Uclaves' limp body. "Not many people could survive the injuries you gave him." Alexander knelt down and examined the throat. It wasn't the same white complexion as the rest of Uclaves' body, it was now a more sinister and burnt black. _"Great job at killing him…"_

"Then why not let me continue the punishment with his subordinates," her eyes glanced around at the unconscious bodies littering the area. "I'm sure they are just as guilty as he is."

"We are leaving," said Alexander as he stood up and started to head for the docks, "Gyrao be sure to tell Greeto I'm sorry for me."

Gaia wavered for a few more minutes studying the bodies around the ground before she felt reclined to follow him. "Next time pirates, next time."

* * *

><p>Alexander's fruit is NOT the Kuro-Kuro no mi (Kuro is short for Kurobi, which means mace so it would be the Mace-Mace Fruit). Also the first OC appeared say hello to Gaia Nyan! Gaia Nyan was created and submitted by Labyrinth Designer.<p>

Enough with this chapter, next chapter Alexander will be returning to the Marine Base to receive his new mission and possibly a new partner. *Hint* *hint*


	5. Chapter 5 The Marine Base

**Chapter 5: The Marine Base and Alexander's Partner!**

"Hey!" shouted an impossibly large man. He easily towered over all men at an amazing three stories in height. The man was called Desmond by the Marines. He was an incredible guard that was stationed here, the finest Marine establishment outside of the Grand Line, Terminal Six. Terminal Six was the sixth Marine Base built outside of the Grand Line that had direct access and command over several stations within. The Marine Vice Admiral put in charge of it, ruled the base with an iron fist. Luckily for Alexander, this was the one day she took off a year.

Desmond and Alexander were close friends, despite the fact that Alexander had absolutely no recollection of how they met. He assumed they met when he was accepted into the Marines at his inauguration ceremony, but he wasn't sure. Anyways, Desmond was one of the six people at this Marine Base he sincerely liked. Everyone else he either never saw or he disliked.

Desmond rose his voice up to a booming level as he greeted Alexander with another joyful wave. Alexander walked up and stared up the giant's body and at his face. The man was a giant, but his personality was the exact opposite of what you'd expect from someone of his size. Cheerful, kind, and a complete push-over. Alexander knowingly exploited him several times.

"Anything happened while I was gone, Desmond?" asked Alexander, having little actual interest in the giant's guard duty, but felt like it was necessary exchange of words.

"Nothing," replied Desmond. Alexander knew it. "Hey, how'd your first patrol go, Captain?"

"Pretty decent," said Alexander, "took down a gang of pirates, fought a spear man, and got into a little fight with a bandit." It was hard to imagine that he'd only be at sea for a little over a week.

"Hah!" laughed Desmond, "wish I wasn't stuck on guard duty here, but you got to do what the big man assigns you."

"Yeah," said Alexander, "did the Dirt Woman beat me here?"

"She got a position transfer," said Desmond. "She'll no longer be working here. Heard she got promoted to Grand Line duty."

"Girls are always the lucky ones," said Alexander with a sigh. "I better be going."

"Yup," said Desmond, "the big man may not be here, but the replacement still needs to talk to you."

Alexander groaned. The imperial halls of the Marine Base were huge. The pure white ceilings were about twenty feet in the air with only a chandelier separating Alexander from them. The walls were filled with portraits of great past Marines, Kizaru, Aokiji, Sengoku, and many others. Alexander felt dwarfed by the imperial air the mere paintings gave off. He continued on his walk to meet with his superior officer, Rear Admiral Veri Fresh.

He hit the huge twin doors after a short walk. They, too, were pure white like the walls and the ceiling. The only thing that wasn't white about this place was the golden doorknobs. He gathered up his courage (and hoped once more that he hadn't been fired) and knocked upon the door.

"I hope whoever is at the door has tea!" shouted a high-pitched and kind of irritating voice. Alexander swallowed hard and pushed the heavy door open. Inside the room was a lanky and tall man about six feet in height. He wore a purple Marine coat and on his purple hair was fashioned into an...onion? On his shoulder was a pure purple parrot.

"Oh…no tea? But on the other…" said the man as he leapt down from his seat, "it is Alexander, the prodigal son! I've been so bored in this place lately, only boring people come to visit me nowadays."

"Only boring people," chimed in the parrot.

"Maybe it has something to do with your hair?" offered Alexander. He knew the hairstyle was creeping him out.

"My hair!" he shouted once more, "no one mocks my hair! No one...except my wife...and daughter. What cruel mistresses!"

"...Okay," said Alexander eager to change the subject, "where I am going off to next? I'm ready to hit the sea again."

"Hmmm," said Veri Fresh, "But too bad we have a job that we need top notch Marines to do. So in other words we have a mission for you. A high prioty mission."

Alexander smile widened. "One only I can complete, eh?"

"Not quite. One only you and your partner can complete," said Veri Fresh with a smirk knowing that would make him stop saying such mean things.

"Partner?" asked Alexander.

"Yes, PARTNER," said Veri Fresh, "you see there has been a recent breakout in violence between two warring islands, Ghorl and Boyd, that used to be particularly peaceful. They have cut off all trades with other nations and focused on building a military to obliterate the other. As you can imagine we are not too thrilled with this."

"I didn't ask about the damn job," said Alexander, "I asked about my partner, sir!"

"Job first, partner second," reprimanded Veri Fresh. "Apparently throughout the quarreling some recent...documents got released. Including one about the king of Ghorl and the queen of Boyd's illegitimate son."

"Let me guess the queen of Ghorl and the king of Boyd started this fight over that document," stated Alexander.

"NO!" shouted Veri Fresh, "this document was found after the war started. We believe this missing child could be the possible missing link between these two countries and it could stop the war!"

Alexander sighed and reclined into a nearby chair. "So, let me get this straight you are putting me on babysitting duty?"

"Escort," said Veri Fresh, "you and your partner are going to escort him to the real palace of Ghorl and hopefully talk things over with him and then take him over to Boyd and talk things over with her. But many people are welcoming this war and some people may try to kill you. So, I suggest that you protect him."

"So, let me get this straight. You are sending me and one other person to defend someone who is from two separate royal families and who may end a war? Why not use an entire brigade to defend him?"

"We thought about that, but we decided instead to use a decoy. One Marine Ship will have 50 Marines and the royal kid's look-alike on board heading to Boyd, then the other will be you, your partners, and this kid heading to Ghorl. This way the villains will attack the fully decked out ship and you will be able to easily infiltrate the island."

"Makes sense. Any other important facts I should know about," hinted Alexander, trying to learn who his partner was.

"Stop being stupid!" shouted Veri Fresh as he jumped back up into his chair, "I have told you everything of importance, stupid."

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," repeated the parrot several times.

Alexander glared at the parrot, "I wonder how roasted parrot meat tastes."

"My darling parrot," said Veri Fresh grabbing hold of him and holding him above his head, "you will not touch my parrot. He is my pride and joy, my only companion on the harsh seas. Not even my wife treats me as nice as he does."

"Okay, weirdo…who is my partner?" said Alexander standing up and patting himself up.

"As you can imagine the kingdoms have suggested their own top-notch warrior to be in charge of escorting," said Veri Fresh as he snapped his finers, "but Boyd's warrior has become sick. So we were able to squeeze in you and another Marine to make up for the lack of security. You will meet them later on today...goodbye!" Two heavy guards swiftly came in and grabbed Alexander and tossed him out of the door.

Alexander landed on the outside of the doors. He wore an unpleasant expression on his face. "Them?"

(-In the hall with Veri Fresh-)

"My darling parrot," said Veri Fresh, "how dare he joke about eating you! I should have him hanged!" Veri Fresh sighed. He looked at the two guards, "go bring in the girl." The guards swiftly nodded and left. They returned a few moments later with a girl in between them.

Her black hair, which normally would've stretched to her shoulders, was kept up in a tight bun. She was five foot seven and had ivory colored skin. She was quite slender. Her ample bust being hidden behind her sailor uniform. It had a blue collar with a green bow and it had a short skirt reaching only a little below her mid-thigh. She had navy blue socks on which reached her knee, however, and she had on a pair of charming black loafers. At her heel was a black and white Shiba Inu.

"P-P-Pleasure to m-mee-meet you sir," she stuttered out quickly, "I am Lieutenant Chiran Rina."

"I know I did read your paperwork," said Veri Fresh as he rubbed his brow.

"Dre-dreadfully sorry sir," she quickly muttered out, "I wasn't aware."

"You okay?" asked Veri Fresh as he approached her as he lightly put his hand onto her shoulder, "you seem nervous."

Her expression changed as she turned around and glared, "T-t-touch me without my permission and I'll b-break your arm off or cut it. Your choice."

Veri Fresh's hand was quickly removed from her shoulder, "well, as you know miss, there is a recent war between Boyd and Ghorl."

"I am aware," she said, "I did read the paperwork…A-am I being sent on that mi-mission!"

"Yes," said Veri Fresh, "You'll be traveling with Alexander, their number one royal soldier, and, of course, this royal kid."

"Wh-why me?" she stuttered out once more, becoming increasingly nervous, "sh-shouldn't you use captains and re-rear admirals for this mission?"

"They are all busy," said Veri Fresh as he distracted his gaze, "now for your partner, Alexander. He's a bit quirky, but he's reliable. However, he is not to be let out of your sight!"

Rina cocked her head in question, "wh-why, sir? Is he weak?"

"No, he made it to captain rank in about a week," said Veri Fresh as he began to pace around the room, "he's…unstable. See, Alexander is not a normal human. As a matter of fact he can't fully be classified as a human. He's a weapon."

"I d-don't follow sir," she stuttered.

"Alexander is our newest and latest advancement in the field of science," said Veri Fresh. "As you know long ago we used Vegapunk's technology to grant weapons like a sword the powers of Zoan-type Devil Fruits, this in turn gave them life. Due to the higher ups' request we decided to advance this technology and use the Devil Fruit known as the Hito-Hito no mi."

"You're k-kidding me, right?"

"No," said Veri Fresh, "we used two of our best scientists to carry out this order. Vegapunk and Void Furrow. You know of Vegapunk's many famous accomplishments, but Void created weapons. He believed he had this technique down to a fact. And he did…after a few months of planning and experimenting Alexander was created."

Rina felt like laughing at this. He was playing her for a fool surely. She was going to be the only Marine watching over some weapon that was transformed into a person while they were transporting a royal kid to some kingdom that may want to kill him? Surely this was some cruel practical joke.

Veri Fresh eyed her, "this is no joke. I am being completely serious here. Normally, we wouldn't even worry about him. This was Vegapunk's work, right? But it was also Void's work. Void loved two things. Creating weapons and killing people. Over Alexander's time in the Marines we noticed…something. He was beginning to behave more like Void. We are afraid we need to do something to slow this transformation of his down."

"W-Wait!" shouted Rina, "you are s-sending me out to sea with a c-crazy killer and the t-target of an assassination attempt?"

"Yes," said Veri Fresh, "you'll be given his file and briefed about him before you leave. After that you'll basically be on your own."

Rina was appalled, "he's nothing m-more then an unstable w-weapon! S-shouldn't you just p-put him down and t-try again?"

"We Marines choose not to waste such time and work to create him to only throw him away when he MAY be normal," said Veri Fresh, "he is a true Marine. He would never hurt an innocent person, he dislikes crimes, and he has super-human determination. You two are to work together to accomplish this mission, deal?"

"Fine," said Rina as she turned and walked towards the door.

(-On the ship of the _One Eon-)_

Alexander plodded around the deck of the ship. It was huge! True, this was coming from a guy who spent a lot of his time on a lifeboat, but still he knew a big ship when he saw one. It had five separate sleeping quarters. One for the captain, one for the quartermasters, one for the first shipmates, and two other for the miscellaneous soldiers. Enough room for fifty-some Marines! So, what if he had to have a partner. He had this extra space. He would still be the captain…his partner would just be another soldier. He would still be in charge of this magnificent ship!

Alexander looked off onto the dock. He would miss this Marine base during the mission. It may take him awhile to return (or so he hoped). He was about to go back to checking on the ship when he noticed a figure standing behind a pole. A small black and white dog sitting next to her.

Alexander hopped down. "_Just another one of my fans_," he told himself. He walked over to the figure and turned around the pole smiling he put his hand onto her shoulder and was about to say hello when the figure screamed something instead.

"Hayate!"

The black and white dog turned his attention over to Alexander and pounced on top of him knocking him to the ground where the dog growled ferociously. Alexander had a full view of its white canines. "Get his mutt off of me!" shouted Alexander desperate to get the darn dog off of him.

"Heel," said Rina. The dog moved off of Alexander and onto the ground next to Rina. Rina crossed her arms and looked down at him. This was him…the inhuman human weapon. She felt insecure just being in his presence, "s-sorry about that. I thought you were g-going to do something d-despicable to me. I m-mistook you for a p-pervert."

Alexander looked at her questioningly, "no problem. I deserved a good hit. Name's Alexander, what is yours?"

"Lieutenant Rina Mitsukomi Chiran," she pronounced.

"Too long. What else can I call you?"

"My friends call me Rina, but you can call me Lieutenant Chiran," said Rina as she turned around and had her back facing him. "Me and Hayate will be your partners for your upcoming mission."

Alexander's face dropped. "What! I get a girl and a small dog! Why do I always get stuck with the trash?"

"HAYATE!" The dog jumped into the air and pounced onto Alexander. Alexander was once again on the floor with a small black and white dog on top of him.

* * *

><p>THE FIFTH CHAPTER (remember to review, if you don't…I don't need to remind you of the consequences)! Alexander's journey has started and his partner is Lieutenant Rina Mitsukomi Chiran by Sanjiandserea! Okay, before I continue chances are some of you guys are still lost on Alexander's Devil Fruit powers, I understand that. I made it confusing on purpose. So! Here goes the explanation!<p>

If you remember Lasoo from the Alabasta Arc. He was gun that ate the Inu-Inu no mi through this same technology. Anyways through this process a weapon gains intelligence and freewill. So, a mace gains the ability to become human, freewill, and intelligence from the Hito-Hito no mi. I wanted an original character and then I stumbled upon this idea and I figured 'why not try?'


	6. Chapter 6 The Royal Kid's Entry

**The Next Island!**

**The Royal Prince's Entry!**

Alexander stretched as he walked into the captain's quarters. "Man, this day was terrible! I never liked arriving at the Marine Base, but now I got two examples of living proof in Quartermaster's room. Why me?" His eyes traveled to the big fluffy bed and smiled. "Nothing a good night's sleep can't fix." Alexander lifted up the covers jumped back. Hayate, the small black and white Shiba Inu, was lying on HIS bed.

"Get out of my bed before I kill you," said Alexander calmly. The dog yawned and stretched and then stood up. His tail wasn't wagging, and he was emitting a low-pitch growl. "This is not a joke. You do not get to take a man's bed." The dog made several more low-pitch growls.

"Look," said Alexander, "Lieutenant Chiran is probably missing you, so go back down to her. Go back to the person on this ship who actually likes you."

The dog's tail began wagging and it stopped growling. With one swift motion it lifted its hind leg up into the air. Alexander began to fume, "if you dare do what I think you are going to do…I will kill you. And if I kill you, Lietenant Chiran will kill me. And if she kills me she'll go to jail. Do you want your master to go to jail?"

The dog shook his head no, but didn't lower its leg.

Alexander smirked. The damn dog was holding his bed hostage! "I wonder how roasted dog tastes." In that one instant his pure white sheets became a soiled yellow color. Hayate didn't waste one second after that he leapt from his place on top of Alexander's bed and out of the door. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Alexander spun around, ignoring the soiled sheets, and chased after the dog.

Alexander saw the dog's tail go around the corner and began to run faster, "DIE!" As soon as Alexander turned the corner he regretted it. He slammed at full speed into Lieutenant Chiran. He sent them both flying on to the ground. He landed on top of her.

"P-P-PERVERT!" Rina brought her leg straight up and into Alexander's gut sending him flying through the air and back onto the ground a few feet away.

"I'm not a freakin' pervert," said Alexander going back up into a sitting position, "I'm being completely honest I have absolutely no sexual interest in you, I just want your dog…that didn't come out right. Let me try again…"

Rina extended her leg straight out and into Alexander's face sending him backwards again.

"I deserved that," said Alexander, "What I meant to say is I have absolutely no sexual interest in you, or your dog for that matter. I just want to kill him."

"No one harms Hayate!" shouted Rina launching a third kick into Alexander's gut. Alexnader crumpled into a ball on the floor.

"Adding a new rule to my rulebook," said Alexander in a low whine, "don't annoy Lieutenant Chiran." Hayate wandered over in front of his face. The dog sat right down in front of him and happily barked. "This isn't over."

"Anyways," said Rina trying to get the crew back onto something normal, "any idea on who are partner is supposed to be? The person who the island of Ghorl was supposed to hire in order to help us deliver the boy?"

"He's waiting on the next island along with the boy," said Alexander as he got back up from the ground. "I think I'm going to take a nap…" Alexander froze as he remembered what happened to the captain's bed. "I think I'm going to go and hang out in the crow's nest."

"Why?" asked Rina as she stood up from her spot, "what's wrong with taking nap?"

"Eh…" said Alexander with a shrug, "my room smells bad."

"What does it smell like?" asked Rina growing increasingly bewildered by Alexander's replies.

"Dog urine," said Alexander as he disappeared around a corner. He was whistling loudly as he did so.

"Dog…urine?" Rina looked over at Hayate, who wasn't paying any attention to her and instead was busying himself with an insect that was crawling around on the ship.

(-The next island-)

The island was peaceful as Alexander strolled about it. Rina, having better people skills then him, had decided that it would be best if he restocked on supplies and she met with the warrior and the boy and directed them to the ship. Alexander didn't mind. The less time with his soon-to-be partner and probably a stuck-up royal brat the better.

Alexander took another peek at the least. He sighed. The handwriting was terrible…well, not bad per se…it was just…feminine. It had loops and curls and hearts above the i's. He couldn't make out heads or tails of it. The first thing on the list appeared to be beef, but upon a second look it could be book. He hated handwriting like this. He stuffed the paper in his and continued on his way.

He adjusted his beret as he stopped by a shop. He called the friendly shop owner over. "Hey," said Alexander, "I'm picking up some food for me and my partner. It says here 'melon'. But what kind of melon does that mean?" He leant over allowing the shopkeeper to see the list.

"Oh, going shopping for your girlfriend," said the shop owner, "I wish my husband was as nice as you are."

"How come whenever I say partner people automatically assume it means girlfriend," shouted Alexander, a bit steamed by another misconception on what he said.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said the shopkeeper, she was a bit red from the mistake.

"You better be," said Alexander as he nodded his head welcoming the fact that for once he wasn't apologizing. If only the rest of the Marines would recognize the fact that he could be right.

"Its still nice of you to shop for your boyfriend," said shopkeeper.

"That's now what I meant!"

(-With Rina-)

Rina wandered through the dirty and disgusting bar that was their meeting place for this warrior. She kept looking around trying to find a boy and a man, but nothing. Not a sing person fitting that description. She subconsciously started to pull on her skirt feeling out of place. Hayate had to wait on the ship to defend it in case of a pirate attack, so she was all alone in a dirty bar. She was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"Hey," said a manly voice behind as he put a hand onto her shoulder, "who in here ordered the schoolgirl?" His breath stunk of alcohol.

"I-I'm sorry, b-but could you please r-remove your hand," said Rina, "I-I don't like people t-touching me." Her hand slipped into her pocket.

"Oh, but in a skirt like that," said the man as he touched Rina's leg, "how could…" the man stopped talking and began to scream as Rina spun a large circular disk around and into his wrist. The man backed away his hand bleeding heavily. The disk was the size of a plate. It had a large hole in the middle for holding it. This was a chakram.

"I-I warned you," said Rina, "if you touch me again, I'll c-cut your hand off."

The man simply smiled as he approached her again, "I'll like to see you try!" He was about to bring his fist down when a single man stepped in between the two of them. The man was heavily tattooed with numerous etchings of lightning bolts running across his body. He was in a black muscle shirt along with jeans, with both of them having white lightning bolts on them.

"Are you Lieutenant Rina?" he asked as he pushed the man's arm away. The man collided with the floor and quickly got back up. Rina nodded. "I'll finish this man off in a couple more seconds get something to drink while you wait." He walked over to the man and gently pressed his left hand into his chest. Sparks flew for a brief second. The man fell to the ground, unconscious. "The name's Mark."

"Where's the kid at?" asked Rina as she approached Mark.

"Yeah, sure," said Mark. "Come on out, Sam." A small kid no more then 10 came out from behind the table. She was in a light orange shirt and khaki shorts. Her hair was about to her shoulders, a little shorter.

"I thought we were supposed to deliver the royal illegitimate son," said Rina, "I guess that must've been a typo." She tapped her chin recalling all of the information that was in the file, remembering they specifically saying the son.

"No," said Mark, "Sam's a boy. His foster family was his foster mother and her three daughters. The father passed away before he was transferred there. He had a very strong female influence in his life, so he's a bit more feminine then most boys."

Rina chuckled uneasily. She didn't mean to immediately insult the royal kid, but it just kind of…slipped out. "I'll lead you two back to the ship." With that the trio were off.

They got to the ship making impressive time, no doubt it was because Rina was nervous. Some people tend to walk a little bit faster when they are nervous, Rina was one of those people. The ship had large boxes stacked up on the deck. Rina was starting to worry that Alexander bought a little bit too much. When she arrived on the ship, her worries were realized. Alexander had bough at least three times the amount of stuff then what was on the list.

"Alexander!" shouted Rina, "how much money did you spend?"

Alexander peeked out from behind one of the boxes. "I spent enough to make sure I got everything you asked for."

"HOW DID I ASK FOR HALF A SHIPLOAD!"

"You didn't specify," said Alexander. "I ended up having a chat with a nice chat with a couple of shopkeepers about your melons."

Rina turned a feverish red. "What did you say you talked about?"

"Your…melons?" asked Alexander. Rina's hand slammed into Alexander's chin sending him flying backwards a few feet. "What was that for?"

"YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT MY…melons…TO ANYONE!"

"What's wrong about it?" asked Alexander, "I was just talking about if they are more likely to be winter melons or watermelons. I didn't want to buy the wrong kind."

"Buy?" asked Rina.

"Yeah," said Alexander standing up and stretching, "you just wrote melons on your list. So I was having a hard time deciding which one to buy."

Rina sighed. "Oh…there's nothing wrong with that."

Mark walked up to Alexander and cut the conversation off at that point, afraid Alexander would say something else stupid. "The name's Mark. I'll be your partner for the next week as we take Sam here to the kingdoms of Ghorl and Boyd."

"I thought we were supposed to be transporting a boy," said Alexander eyeing the kid.

"He is a boy," said Mark as he palmed his face, "anyways, we should start heading out to Boyd, don't you think?"

"Yeah," said Alexander, "the sooner I can get you two off my back the better." He left and headed back to the crow's nest. "Oh, and just some friendly advice. Don't sleep in the captain's room."

"Why?" asked Mark.

"Just some advice," said Alexander as he began the climb up to the crow's nest.

(-A few hours later-)

Alexander was just coming down from the crow's nest. He knew from the commotion that he could hear from up there that Rina was all alone in the kitchen of the ship working hard and cooking up a meal for the crew, Mark had drifted off to the back of the ship and was eyeing the open ocean, that just left the kid up on the deck by himself.

Alexander sat down next to the kid. "Hey there, everybody left you, huh?" He crossed his legs to get more comfortable.

"Mom and dad didn't mean to," said the kid, "they are just busy doing other things." He was absent mindedly drawing things on the deck using only his fingers.

"Not like that!" shouted Alexander, "I meant that Rina and Mark left you all alone." He sighed. He always said the worst things at the worst times it seemed like.

"Its okay," said Sam, "I'm used to it."

Alexander sighed. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Ever got a piggyback ride before?"

"Piggyback ride?" asked Sam.

* * *

><p>Yeah, not my favorite chapter. But it is necessary since I want to introduce Sam and Mark real quick, include a little comedy, but yeah...not my favorite. Gets better don't worry about it. Anyways, how about a few quick facts about the whole 'contest' between my stories. I would say something cooler and more important, but I am currently running of four hours of sleep.<p>

1) My readers somehow decided to plan everything through and make it so both stories tied. I checked and double-checked. According to my rules...which I deleted when I put this chapter up, both chapters scored a 84 reviews. I have absolutely no idea on what to do, so I just post chapter 6 for both of them...for now. DON'T THINKYOU'VE WON, REVIEWERS!

2) I got three threats to continue Unsound Body and two bribes to continue Iron Hammer. Which is more important? I don't know. But it does say something about the fans of these two manga, doesn't it?


	7. Chapter 7 The Kingdom

**The Kingdoms**

**The Beginning of the Assassins**

The kingdom of Ghorl opened up before the small crew. It had magnificent ivory towers around the castle. The town, however, appeared distraught. Their houses were more huts and they laid out in front of large farms. There were a large amounts of animals roaming around the area, so it was obvious that it was a farming community. Either that or it was impoverished.

Alexander looked out over the seas and at the large amounts of animals. "I wonder how many cows are out there! I wonder what they taste like!" The field were just crawling with the massive bovines. He was amazed at the size of the beasts.

"W-We are about to meet royalty and instead you are f-fantasizing about roasted animal flesh?" asked Rina, "what an uncivilized oaf." She didn't move from her seat on the ship as she insulted him.

"Cow tastes great," enabled Mark as he wrapped his arm around Alexander's shoulder. "I'll have to treat you to some after our mission is complete."

"What about me?" asked Sam as he wandered over to them.

"You are welcome, too!" shouted Alexander giving him a thumbs-up, "just got to find some time in your busy schedule to come over at one point. But, bottom line, my door is always open."

"Yeah! Cow meat!"

"Great," said Rina as she slumped into a nearby chair, "now everyone else is b-becoming Alexander." She looked at the trio of them all happily talking about meat, she couldn't help but chuckle at their loony ideas. She was beginning to realize that she couldn't keep in mind what Alexander was when he did things like this, she just saw him as a large goofball.

"We are going to dock soon," said Mark as he grabbed a hold of the rope that controlled the sails. "The king of Ghorl is a little bit…protective. I have no idea about how he will take to this."

"Understood," said Alexander, "so what exactly is it that we are going to be doing."

"We?" said Rina, "nothing. I will be talking things over with him and YOU will be staying away from the king of Ghorl."

"Why can't I talk with the king?" asked Alexander.

"Cause you always s-say the wrong thing!" shouted Rina, "I'm afraid you'll say something about him h-having a child with someone else other then his wife and you'll end up g-getting the Marines in trouble with the k-kingdoms. So you are not allowed to talk with the king or queen of either kingdom. This is for the safety of the world."

"Yes," said Alexander, "my big mouth will destroy the world."

"I'm afraid I'll have to agree with the Lieutenant," said Mark, "you seem to have a special knack when you talk." Mark made another final check out over the seas as they began to leave towards the castle.

"How do you know? I've only been with you for a couple of days!" shouted Alexander.

"My point is exactly."

"Fine. I'll just…train or something."

"Good idea."

The dock was directly adjacent to a small farm. There was a lot of people gathered around there, but none of them focusing on the new ship docking. Most of them were looking at the farm and eyeing the show force that the island's military was currently putting on. There were at least forty soldiers stationed there, talking to people and gathering information.

"F-f-forty soldiers and only three of us," said Rina, "if the king wanted to k-kill us he could…why was I selected for this j-job?"

"I don't know," said Alexander, "why were you selected for this job? Maybe it was the short skirt?" Alexander's answer was a swift and powerful kick to his shin.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," said Mark as he continued on his way. "Why don't you just stay here and try training with these random soldiers? They'd probably appreciate the chance to try what they are made of against a real Marine."

"Don't," said Rina. "If these guys find out that M-Marines have docked on this island, then we'd be a s-short skip and jump away from our m-mission being j-jeopardized. We don't want that."

"I think we can risk it," said Alexander, "forty of them should be a pretty good warm-up."

"Don't!" shouted Rina, "we are taking this kid up to the castle and that's it!"

"Fine," said Alexander, "I'll just train once we get there."

"Didn't you guys mention a second ship coming here?" asked Mark, "I wonder how they held up during this mission. They were a decoy…they probably got more trouble then you did."

"Right," said Alexander, "I hope they made it."

They got to the castle within a couple of minutes. The walk was long and pretty boring with no real conversation going on between the four. The castle was magnificent, though. It stretched at least four stories into the sky. It had a pillar at each one of its eight angles. It was large and painted a golden hue. Large streamers hung from each window. The place had such a regal air the crew had to stop and gawk at it.

"I thought the Marines had a certain flair for the extravagant," said Alexander, "our headquarters looks like a cardboard box compared to this."

Mark scratched the back of neck. "My house isn't anything compared to your Marine Base. I guess that means I'm living in trash can…"

Alexander chuckled nervously. "Apparently."

"Okay, now Alexander, leave!" shouted Rina, "go train or something!" She grabbed a hold of Sam's hand and guided him into the castle. Mark turned around and shrugged at Alexander. He followed in after Rina.

Alexander sighed and turned around. He remembered where the large amounts of the knights were stationed in the field. He decided it may be in his best interest to keep himself busy training down there. Maybe someone would keep him busy while the boring negotiation talks went over.

Mark and Rina were about halfway through the halls when Mark spoke up, "I don't know the actual deal of this negotiation. I was never fully briefed. I'm just he kids bodyguard, so I'll be no use in the room. I think I'll just go and patrol grounds…maybe practice with Alexander."

"Oh, okay," said Rina with a tone of disappointment in her voice. She had been hoping that someone else would be with her all the way through. To be honest, she wasn't all that confident in big speeches. She wouldn't say anything wrong to piss off the king and queen, but she may not say much of importance at all. This mission just read of failure. It was surprising that they made it this far without a single problem. "Just be back in time to take off for Boyd."

Mark sighed, "I'll try." He didn't promise, he didn't believe in making promises that you couldn't fulfill. Something had been bothering him ever since they left the island they met up on. He was sure of it, someone was following them. He was going to make sure that they didn't get anywhere close to the royal kid. After a few days with these Marines he highly doubted they had what it took to repel an assassin so his job was simple, defeat them before they attack Rina and Alexander.

(-With Alexander-)

Alexander sighed. The soldiers in the field had moved on. The walk to and from the castle was about thirty minutes so it was no surprise they were gone. He was now all alone in a large and open field. It was going to be a long day and he wasn't too happy about it. How was he going to get a good workout? He'd been stuck on the ship for nearly a week just sailing! He didn't really get a workout on the previous island, asides from carrying Rina's groceries. He was hoping he would get a quick workout in beating up assassins, but they hadn't made their move against them yet. Now the soldiers just up and disappeared. What a lame day!

Alexander was about to turn around and leave, head back to the castle, and enter the royal negotiation room for no other reason then to have Rina yell at him and have his day become exciting again, but he saw something. A man in a Marine uniform laying on the ground covered in blood.

Alexander bolted over to him and lifted his head. "What the heck happened to you?"

"Who is this?" asked the man. His eyes were hazy and his speech was quickly becoming slurred. He was going to die of blood loss in just a couple of minutes. Alexander knew that running and getting help would be pointless. They were on the dock near a field, the closest town was at least ten minute run, the castle was at least fifteen minutes away. He'd be dead before Alexander even got to town.

"'Iron Hammer' Alexander, Marine Captain, Terminal Six Division," said Alexander quickly reciting his lines. "I'm here delivering the royal prince to the castle to end the war." Alexander ignored the fact that someone could've heard and now know who to follow to the prince in order to assassinate him.

"So, you are one of the two," said the man as he hacked up more blood, "listen! Someone came…here! They are looking for…yo…you guys! They took me and some other Marines hostage! Half of them are dead! The rest of them are in as good of shape as I am!"

"I'll go get them and bring them around, some of them might be able to be saved," said Alexander as he got up. The man's hand was wrapped tightly around his leg, he wasn't about to let go.

"No!" said the Marine, "the assassin! He's on his way to the castle! He'll kill the royal kid the first chance he gets!"

"Impossible there are guards on the castle he'll never get in," said Alexander, "I'm going to go get help for you!"

"NO!" shouted the Marine. More blood spilled out over his mouth, "he's not going to break in. He's just going to burn the entire castle to the ground in half an hour…the prince will either die inside the flames or…he'll be shot when…he escapes. You got to…" The man's head slumped to the ground. The life disappeared from his eyes in a split instant. He was dead, no question.

Alexander's head slumped down. "…right…civilians come first." Alexander stood up. His hand was so tightly formed into a fist, that his knuckles were turning a sickly white color. "I'll be so the Marines know of your bravery." Alexander spun on his heels and was off back towards the castle. He was running faster then any normal human would manage. For a normal human a run to the castle took fifteen minutes, Alexander made it there in under ten.

(-With Mark-)

Mark was laid out on the ground. He had no cuts on his body, no bruises, but his body had several first-degree burns all over his body with a couple of second-degree burns on his chest. His jacket had been burnt to ashes. He was sweating profusely from the extreme damage his opponent had dealt to him.

Mark struggled to stand back up. His legs were burnt as well, they was very little strength left in them. As soon as his entire weight shifted back onto his legs, they gave out once more. He was sent crumbling back down to the ground. All the strength in his leg had been cooked out. "Who are you?" asked Mark.

"We are un assassination corporation," said the man, he had a thick accent. He had tall red hair that stuck straight up for an additional half a foot past his head. He was wearing a heavy metal chest plate that protected his body. His knees and elbows had also been given similar protection. He also had on two separate pairs of gauntlet, his right hand was pure black while his left hand was incased in steel, "Perhapz you have heard o' uz…we are ze Taka."

"The what?"

"Ze Taka," explained the man. He clapped his two hands together and there was a large spark that eventually exploded into flames. "Our operation haz already been put into action. Ze letter ze little girl you traveled with zat she will pass onto ze king has been replaced with one of our own. No one can stop us." A few seconds later an agonizing scream pierced the air.

* * *

><p>Death. Assassins. Fire. Don't worry about Alexander, he wasn't too upset about not being allowed in the conference. He'll still save the day unless he is too late with other trouble. But what's going to happen to Rina and Sam in the meantime? Trouble is once again brewing in the world of One Piece and it starts next chapter.<p>

The 'contest' is no longer continuing so for those of you who do not want to review any more…you don't have to (it is still appreciated though!) No, now, both stories will continue until…I think it was September 3rd that I planned on (cause after that Summer vacation is over). Then…something will happen…maybe…I don't know I REALLY wasn't planning on these two stories both getting the same amount reviews.

Taka is Japanese for hawk. Hawks are commonly used as a symbol for war (as opposed to doves), they are birds of prey, and they are kind of awesome. The perfect opponent for the Marines! (Think of the symbol for Marines. Seagulls).


	8. Chapter 8 The Explosion Nears

**The Explosion Nears!**

**The Taka Makes Their Moves!**

"Your highness!" shouted a man in a steel padded armor as he walked onto the scene, "something had happened outside our castle walls. There was a small explosion and a scream."

"Send some men down there," said the king. He was dressed in an elegant purple robe with golden shoulder pads. He had a golden crown on his head and a golden staff in his hand. He was old, too, at least in his sixties. He wore a tired expression with his green eyes halfway closed. He looked serene. "I have a very important meeting going on right now." He opened his hand and gestured towards Rina and Sam who were currently sitting opposite of him.

"How many men?"

"It could be an assassin," suggested the king, "he could be here to take the life of my son." He looked over at Rina and Sam for approval. They both nodded in agreement. "Tell twenty guards to capture him and hold the wrongdoers in a cell until I have the free time! Do not let him out of your sight." The guard nodded and ducked out of the room.

"So, now, Lieutenant Chiran, is it? You were talking about the end to the war."

"Y-yes sir," said Rina as she stood up, she felt the king's eyes burrowing deeply into her. She was becoming extremely nervous standing there, "y-your s-son h-here m-may be just w-what you need. S-something to show y-your people union between your t-two nations. I have n-note from the Marines official explaining everything." She took out an unopened letter. Veri Fresh had given it to her before they departed. She slid it over the table towards him. The king nodded and opened it slowly.

He read the letter over once and sighed loudly, "I see Marines…you really want this war to stop…you give me no choice…guards!" Three equally armored men quickly gathered around Rina. "Arrest her and my son! Throw them both into the dungeon with the assassin!"

"Wait! What!" shouted Rina, "What happened? We just came to talk about peace! Why are you doing this to us?"

"Peace!" shouted the king, "PEACE! You do not bring this letter in to me and try to talk about peace! From now on this kingdom and the World Government are at war!" He threw the letter to Rina and walked out of the room.

Rina's hand fumbled around the letter. Finally she brought it up to her eyes and read it. Her mouth dropped along with the letter. This letter wasn't one detailing how the new government should be set up, the reparations the World Government was willing to pay, or anything like that. The letter was a blackmail letter.

It demanded that the king withdraw his forces and pay an upwards of one million belies to the World Government, if he didn't…the world government would release the files about his affair to the public. That was terrible publicity for a king to be found out that he had an affair with another woman. He would be immediately stripped of his power! There was no way the king would accept that. What were the Marines thinking? "Shit. That's…n-not our letter! It m-must've b-been planted on me b-by someone else!"

Rina kicked and screamed as the three guards dragged her out through the double doors and through the palace to the jail cell.

(-With Alexander-)

Alexander drove his left foot into the gut of the man. He stumbled backwards nearly tripping over Mark. The man stood up quickly just in time to avoid another devastating blow from Alexander's fist. "Who are you?" asked Alexander.

"Who am I?" asked the man his accent just as heavy as before, "I am ze one and ze only! I am Emyre! Ze fire master of ze Taka! No one has eder escaped a fight wit' me alive." The man quickly spared a look over his shoulder towards the castle and smiled. "Ze castle is quite beautiful, no? It'll be a shame if somethin' were to happen to it."

"Exactly why I am going to beat you up," said Alexander, "and then you are going to tell me about the bomb you placed in there." Alexander charged again this time he drove his elbow forward towards Emyre. Emyre dodged out of the way once more and let the strike glide past him.

"Ze plan of ze Taka will not be stopped," said Emyre. "I will now demostrate ze power handed down onto me from ze Taka. Ze right hand has ze power of flint" he lifted his right hand into the air, above his head. "Ze left hand, ze power of steel!" He repeated the act with his left hand. "When zey collide zey form fire!" He smashed his left hand and right hand into each other, first there was only a large spark, but then they both simultaneously burst into flames.

"That's actually pretty cool," said Alexander admiring the man's powers, "Never thought I'd see someone with powers like that. No Devil Fruits, vessels, or supernatural totems…just plain natural powers."

"Zese powers will burn ze skin off of your body," said Emyre as he brought his right hand forward, aiming it at Alexander's body. Alexander brought jumped back and quickly disappeared behind a tree to protect himself from Emyre's attack. "You are nothin' more zen a fool, if you believe plant life will stop ze power of fire!" Emyre drove forward and wrapped his still blazing left hand around the tree. The tree spontaneously combusted into a brilliant red and white flame. "The power of ze Taka will not be stopped."

(-with Rina-)

Rina was the first to react out of the group. She flipped backwards and quickly maneuvered her body behind a thick brick wall. The three soldiers that she was with didn't even think about dodging the bolts from the crossbow, they believed their armor would protect them from the shot. They were dead wrong.

The crossbow bolts were at least half a foot long. They had a wooden shaft, but an obsidian tip. The tip of the arrows were probably laced with some kind of drug, but with all three of the shooter's shots landing squarely in each of the soldiers forehead, it didn't really matter. The three men collapsed onto the floor. Rina pulled Sam out of the open and behind the wall with her. Their opponent stretched her body out into the open.

She was at least 5' 9" making her taller then Rina by a couple of inches. She wore a long black robe that stretched past her feet and was bundled up on the floor. The robe hide most of her features. The only way it was actually resembled a female was from the purple hair that flowed out from underneath the hood and its higher pitched voice.

"Picture, me, a part of the Taka being captured and put into some…pathetic prison!" shouted the woman, "its an insult! I, alone, deserve to be put into Level 3 of Impel Down, not this! Such complete disregard on your part," she said as she looked down on the men with crossbow bolts sticking out of their head. "Honestly…I mean honestly! Couldn't you have publicized a petite amount more of politeness?"

She was completely ignoring Rina. Rina was scrunched up behind the brick wall listening to the woman bicker with the men. Rina was peeking over the edge of the wall. She couldn't even see the woman's weapons. From the bolts it was obvious that she wielded a crossbow bolt of some sort, but it had to be big in order to send those bolts flying. Rina was quietly checking out the scene to check on everything before she made her move. Some people would argue that a brave Marine would've charged in by now, Rina would argue that a SMART Marine would check out her opponent first.

Rina studied her opponent from her safe spot behind the pillar. She definitely wasn't what Rina thought that an assassin would be. She acted so much more…energized. But there was something about her…something that made Rina's skin crawl. Not of disgust or pity or a similar emotion. Something about her that just made Rina mad. Rina just wanted to throw her chakram at the woman's neck! Rina just couldn't figure out why.

At first she thought it was because she had just killed three innocent castle guards. But no. The castle guards were just trying to lock her in a jail cell! They were threatening to throw her and lock her away! She didn't know them personally. They only thing she knew about them was that they were jerks who obeyed their king.

It could've been because she murdered a human and then pretended like she was still better. But no. This wasn't a hate about conflicting ideals, this hate was personal. Somewhere in the back of her mind for some reason she being told that this person is terrible, that she should hate this person, and, yes, that she should kill this person. But Rina had no idea what the reason was.

The woman sighed as she pulled back the hood that had previously covered her face. She was a middle-aged woman. She had dark green eyes and she wore a lot of make-up. Her lips were loud and boisterous purple, similar to that of her hair. She wore a large amount of purple eye shadow and her cheeks had a rosy foundation on them. Rina had seen this woman before. This woman was one of the pirates that killed her parents.

Rina gripped her chakrams and walked out into the open. Sam stayed behind cowering behind the large rock walls. Rina gathered her voice, "I am L-Lieutenant Mitsukomi Chiran Rina of Marine Terminal Six! You are hereby u-under arrest for charges of murder, misbehavior in a foreign k-kingdom, and planned assassination of royalty."

The woman rolled her eyes over to Rina. There was something unsettling about her eyes. It had the same soulless quality as glass. It had an icy glare that was cold enough to freeze someone's heart. Whatever scream in Rina that would've came out at this time was dissolved into a fiery tempest of pure hate.

"P-Please state your name and, if you wish, any reasons why you should not be held accountable for your actions," shouted Rina. Oh, how she wished little Hayate was here to help her. She could almost here his little growl, but Hayate had to stay on the ship to watch over it.

"Mmmmm," said the woman as she sucked on her lips. She popped her lips out creating an incredibly annoying noise, "I am Pura Pupuran. I am an official member of the Taka so it'd be much more perfect for the both of us…if you treat me with the respect I deserve."

"Pura!" shouted Rina, "either hand yourself over without resistance or be prepared to accept the consequences." Funny. For once in Rina's whole life she honestly hoped that the person chose option number two.

"Please I'd prefer Pura Pupuran to plain Pura," said Pura, "and I'm prepared to accept the punishment our plans deserve." She distracted her gaze and began to file her fingernails in front of Rina as if she didn't matter! Rina brought a single chakram up to her side and tossed it. It flew through the air, aimed perfectly at Pura Pupuran neck. Or at least it was…until a crossbow bolt came up and was fired at it causing it deviate into the side of the wall. "Pathetic."

Rina didn't see where the crossbow bolt came from. Whether or not it came from Pura Pupuran's body or from the window down the hall. She was clueless to who actually fired the shot. Worst case scenario was that Pura Pupuran had a partner outside taking aim with his oversized crossbow…if so then Rina would have to fight two people. But that didn't matter to Rina for this was one woman who Rina did not want to see get away.

(~flashback~)

Rina was a little girl, only about ten or so, as she happily skipped across the deck of the gypsy ship. Her mother and father watched happily from the side lines as well as the rest of her ship. They were close bunch. They'd been together for almost their entire lives, they were all like family to young Rina. Their kids were like her brothers and sisters, and them themselves were like aunts and uncles. Rina quickly ran over to her mother and father.

"Mommy, is it going to rain again today?" she said as she pulled on her mother's long flowing dress.

"No, it doesn't look like it Rina," said her mother with a smile. The sky was mostly clear with quite a few white clouds, but the menacing dark rain clouds were gone.

"I think it is," said Rina with a smile. "I think it is going to rain." Rina opened her arms open and towards the sky. "I can feel it, mommy!"

Her mother smiled as she cocked her head to the side, "of course you do honey. Now go off and play with your friends."

Rina nodded and quickly ran off to rejoin with her friends of many ages. The day look like it was going to be a beautiful one, despite young Rina's feeling of rain. It was clear sailing all ahead…but behind them was a dark and ominous ship.

* * *

><p>To make a long story short the kingdom is going to hell in a hand Taka's force has just doubled (yeah, from one to two! That's still doubling, folks!) Anyways, now both Emyre's (any guesses on where his name comes from?) and Pura Pupuran powers have been introduced and both of them are a highlight of murdering prowess. How will Alexander and Rina fair against this threat? Also, next chapter is Rina and her past!<p> 


	9. Chapter 9 Aboard the Gypsy Ship

**Aboard the Gypsy Ship!**

**The Dance of the Tiger!**

Rina ran about the ship once more. Talking to everyone and just enjoying the general company of her companions. The ship was bustling with new information and goods from their previous stop. Candy, jewels, and money continuously exchanged hands. Rina bobbed and weaved throughout the busy ship until she got to the prow.

The ship lurched forward throughout the waves. Rina bounded behind a line of children in front of a local candy shop. The shop had recently been refilled at their latest stop. The kids were lined up in front of the shop each one of them excitingly jingling their bags of coin waiting with great anticipation for their share of the sweets. Finally Rina's turn came.

Rina rushed up to the shopkeeper and brought out her small amount of coin. The shopkeeper smiled and went behind the shop. "I'm guessing it'll be the same as usual, huh Rina?"

"Yup!" she shouted with a smile, "as much white chocolate as I can buy!"

"You're gonna get a cavity if you keep eating like this," said the shopkeeper.

"Nuh-uh!" shouted Rina, "I brush my teeth every night! I'm responsible for my own teeth. See? They are still all white and shiny! So, give me some chocolate!"

The shopkeeper laughed as he produced a small bag of white chocolate and handed it over to the young girl. She grabbed it and dashed off, leaving her money waiting on the table. Her squeals of delight could be heard almost all over the ship.

Rina immediately rushed to her secret hideout on the ship to enjoy her treats. She hid behind the large barrels clutching her small bag of treats to herself. Some of the other kids will soon be down here, no doubt trying to bully some of her candy away. She'll show them she'll just eat it all. There was already another small group of kids down there. Two boys and another girl, Rina paid them no mind. She had her bag of sweets.

One of the boys, Tessa, was the resident smart-aleck. A real whiz kid and as a result always saved up his money and bought the higher end stuff. This time he had bought a small Den-Den Mushi, the snail thing. This one allowed its owner to communicate with other people over the Den-Den Mushis. How the freaky snails allowed people to talk to other people miles away was beyond Rina's knowledge, but they did.

Some boys were harassing him (as usual). Rina kept quiet behind the large barrels and ignored their banter and the sounds of some punches. She figured that Tessa could probably stand up for himself. He was a smart kid. He'd figure something out.

Then the beginning of the worst moment in Rina's life happened.

There was a loud and sudden bang as a large cannonball crashed into the side of the gypsy ship. The ship shook violently threatening to throw all of its passengers overboard without the slightest reason. When everything quieted down, the shouts of pirates began to fill the air. Loud stomps could be heard from above deck.

Rina shrunk away behind the large barrels still clutching her precious bag of chocolates. The pirates could be after them, after all. Chocolates were very valuable, besides they tasted better then of the numerous gems the ship had onboard.

"Search this place from head to toe," said a loud and boisterous voice, "we the Kano Pirates! With me, 'Dead-Bones' Kano, as your valiant leader! Your ruthless leader! Your leader with a 99 million belie bounty!"

"_99 million?" _panicked Rina in her head, "_That's…that's…that's more then 10 million! Right? He must be trouble." _Rina opened up one of the barrels and crawled inside it. She'd hide inside the barrel, you know, until…you know. The other kids panicked and ran out to their mothers and fathers. Rina remained in her barrel.

The next hour or so was agony. Rina stayed hidden and tucked away in her barrel. She sat there and listened to the sounds of gunshots, screams, and the sound of people thudding to the ground. Rina was almost confident it was the safe to come out when all of a sudden a small group of pirates walked in. Rina sneaked a peek at the group of them as they walked in before ducking back into her barrel of safety.

"I, 'Dead Bones' Kano, have conquered another ship," said the same voice, "I think I'm even better then I thought I was before. Wait! I was perfect before, I must be beyond perfect now. Especially, with such a wondrous collection of gems. The twelve gems of the zodiac…they are all mine."

"If you miscount, you do," said another voice. This one coming from the female in the group. Probably a younger Pura Pupuran. "We're one short."

Rina gulped and gripped the jewel around her neck tightly. Her parents were high up on the ship. They had given her the jewel as a form of safe-keeping. Also to dictate the fact that she was their child, a child to be respected.

Kano sighed. "They said they traded it away to a different ship. They had absolutely no idea that each gem by themselves sell for about 5 million each. But together as a collection all twelve sell for about 80 million."

"They are probably lying," said Pura Pupuran, "they are probably hiding it on this ship."

The sound of a heavy smack sent Rina cringing even deeper into the barrel. "DO NOT TALK BACK TO ME! I, 'Dead Bones' Kano, deserve absolute respect on MY ship from MY crew."

"Yes, boss," said Pura Pupuran.

(~Back to regular~)

Rina shook her head, clearing it of the rest of the day. After she left her safety barrel and went on deck. She found nearly all of her crew dead. The ones who weren't dead, died soon after. She didn't remember the rest of the day, asides the fact that she met with a Marine soon after. She pushed the rest of it far into the darkest part of her mind, in the hopes that she would never think of it again. Even now she could barely hold back the tears remembering that terrible day.

"Pathetic," said Pura Pupuran as she approached Rina. She lifted her left arm up into the air. The robe fell off of her arm revealing a sleek and small wooden crossbow. The crossbow stretched up to her elbow, the long bolt that fit into the weapon took up most of the space. "Prepare for this piercing blow." She launched the long wooden crossbow bolt off at Rina, Rina rolled to the side but still grimaced as she felt the obsidian tip of the bolt cut into her shoulder.

Rina grabbed the bolt and looked it over. No poison on it. She should consider herself lucky because of that. But still something felt wrong. This woman claimed to be an expert assassin, but she didn't use any poison on her arrow tip? What's with the woman?

"Pondering over the purpose of my lack of poison?" said Pura Pupuran as if reading Rina's mind. "Obsidian is a very delicate form of stone. Not only that, but it is probably covered with bacteria. Prehistoric people used it in a way to inflict diseases to their opponents. Also the obsidian tends to break off into their opponent's bloodstream and inflict massive wounds as it tears through it."

Rina fingered the wound on her shoulder. It stung, but she didn't think that the obsidian broke off into her bloodstream. She'd just be more careful from here on out and avoid getting another arrow jammed into her. Pura Pupuran approached Rina she lifted her crossbow into the air and aimed it at Rina's head.

"**Dance of the Shield," **commanded Rina as she produced both of her chakrams and began spinning them around in circles. They soon formed two small circles. Pura Pupuran fired her arrow at Rina. It slammed into Rina's chakrams and was tossed to the side.

"Surprising," said Pura Pupuran as she brought her crossbow back around and aimed it at Rina's head, "aren't you interested in some witty banter between fighters?"

"I have a policy," said Rina, "I don't talk to killers." She spared a quick glance over her shoulder and at Sam, who managed to stay hidden until now.

"Don't you think if I wanted to kill that brat I would've by now?" said Pura Pupuran with a snicker.

"You k-knew he was there?" asked Rina.

"Of course," said Pura Pupuran, "I am an expert assassin. First step in assassination, find the target. Second step is eliminate it. Or so I thought. The Taka has particular prospects they have to take into account and their plan is interesting. An explosion that will take the king's life as well as the prince's."

"What are you talking about?" asked Rina.

"I got caught as I was putting explosives around the palace," said Pura Pupuran. "The explosions will go off in…ten minutes. When they go off the prince will die and there goes the Marines plans for negotiations. The king will die as well. Just think of the headlines! Boyd pulverizes Ghorl's king! The war will continue and Taka's plan was an astounding success. Not to mention the only surviving document will be that letter the 'Marines' gave the king. The Marines' reputation will plummet. The war will continue and neither side will ever trust you Marines, your best efforts to end the world has resulted in your own undoing."

"Why do you want to continue this damn war?" asked Rina.

"We make money from the war," said Pura Pupuran, "whether it is from selling weapons on the Black Market, lending our soldiers to the war for a fee, or when all the fighting is done we'll take over the defeated land and start to strip it for materials. This one war has already brought a profit of about…195 million belies to our organization."

"You are making a p-profit from killing people!" shouted Rina, "all of those innocent people are d-dying just to fill your bottom line!"

"Of course," said Pura Pupuran, "killing people is a great way to fill your bottom line. Think of it as one of executions."

"With no reason," said Rina, "Its an execution of millions for no reason."

"The reason is simple," said Pura Pupuran, "to make money. Money makes the world go round and sadly money makes people kill people."

"Fine," said Rina as she brought her arms forward in front of her, "I guess I better wrap this up quickly. **Dance of Thunder!" **Rina began punching the air with her chakrams around her fists as if they were brass knuckles.

"Foolish girl!" shouted Pura Pupuran. She brought her crossbow back around and fired a quick shot at Rina. Rina leaned to the side allowing the crossbow bolt to graze past her side. She heard her fabric rips as the crossbow colt sliced through it. She ignored it and charged. She brought her chakram covered fist forward and aimed straight for Pura Pupuran's jaw. Pura Pupuran cringed as Rina's entire mass came crashing into her jaw sending her flying. Pura Pupuran skidded across the ground, she quickly brought her entire body up and brought her crossbow back around. She fired three shots quickly.

Rina brought her arms up in a futile attempt to block the shots. The arrows landed once more in her shoulder, another one near the side of the gut, and the third one positioned it deep into her chest. Rina grimaced as she pulled the one in her chest out. The obsidian tip had broken off in there. She wavered for a bit, but quickly regained her balance.

She spun her chakrams around in the air and brought it in front of her. Now the only thing that stood between her and Pura Pupuran was that single chakram. "**Dance of the Tiger!" **Rina stretched her legs and prepared for a short dash.

Pura Pupuran brought her crossbow back around and fired another small round off at Rina. Rina flipped backwards and watched the bolt drive past her skirt and probably skin her leg a bit. She tumbled to the ground and felt her leg. There was a small cut in her leg and also a small cut in her skirt, nothing to worry about.

Pura Pupuran fired another arrow at her. She flipped around and sent herself skidding across the floor. She watched as the sharp arrow bury itself deeply into the wooden floor. Rina was shaken up after watching Pura Pupuran's impressive display of marksmanship. Rina quickly catapulted herself off of the ground and back onto her own two feet.

Pura Pupuran fired another medley of arrows at Rina. Rina deftly dodged through the barrage of arrows. She felt another one, maybe even two dig into her sides. "**Dance of the TIGER!" **She neared Pura Pupuran and dashed towards her, she brought her chakram around and into Pura Pupuran's side. Rina twisted around and brought her chakram back around and into Pura Pupuran again. And again. Rina dashed around Pura Pupuran extending her arm out and dragging her chakram through her skin with each twist and turn.

Pura Pupuran collapsed onto the ground. Rina's legs were still on fire from the run, she was starting to feel tired. Her legs had just experienced a lot of stress, they were about to give out underneath her. Not to mention the loads of cuts and bruises she probably had covering her legs. She turned around, her mind was still focused on the bombs scattered around the palace. She had to get rid of them…she had to save the king.

* * *

><p>Hope you all enjoyed Rina's past. This was prior to her recruitment to the Marines for those of you who couldn't tell and it is actually the main reason why she joined up with the Marines. But let's not forget the big picture. There are still bombs scattered out around the palace, Sam is still a target for assassination, and Alexander still has Emyre to fight! The job isn't done until everyone is out of harm's way.<p>

I apologize for the slight lateness in posting. I was having technical difficulties. I hope that my technical difficulties are behind me.


	10. Chapter 10 The Human Mace

**The Human Mace's Brute Force!**

**The End Nears!**

Rina stumbled forward and she fell forwards. She braced herself against the ground using her hands. She slowly pushed herself back up to her feet. She looked around. She was alone. There were three bodies scattered about her, two of them dead, she grimaced as she took another step forward. She was alone…Sam! She panicked as she glanced around the room. No one was around her! Sam disappeared! Where? She looked to her left and then back to her right. He was gone. She stumbled forward again…maybe he went to get help.

"S-shit," said Rina as she fell to the ground once more. Her leg hurt like hell. She touched it tenderly and felt the pain shoot up her leg once more. She remembered Pura Pupuran mentioning the diseases that lived on the tips of the obsidian arrowheads. Her entire body shuddered as she thought of the diseases destroying her body. She heard of Marines gloating about how they almost died in battle, she didn't want to be one of the few that did.

She found herself back on her feet and slowly walking through the halls of the palace. She just had to find someone. Someone to stop the bomb, someone to help her. Someone. She made another half stumble forwards, but managed to brace herself before she fell. Maybe she shouldn't have demanded that Alexander kept away from the palace.

(-With Alexander-)

The man's blazing right arm roared past Alexander as Alexander dodged and ducked beneath the flaming hot punch. Alexander landed on the ground and looked back up. Emyre was already transitioning into his next attack. He spun his body around and launched a downward palm thrust with his left hand aimed at Alexander's chest. Alexander spun out and around, dodging the heated blow by only a few mere seconds. Finally, Alexander was back on feet and ready to fight.

"I thought you wanted to see ze power I have?" said Emyre with a demented chuckle as he straightened his body back out. He moved his foot forward onto the red hot ground in front of him. "How can you see zem without feeling zem?" He clapped his hands together once more, once again igniting both of his hands on fire. "Ze answer is you can't!" He charged forward and struck out with an extremely fast thrust with his right arm, Alexander couldn't move in time and was thrown back with a new blazing injury. Alexander collided with the ground and rolled over. Emyre's right hand went on impact.

"Hot! Hot! Hot!" shouted Alexander as he rolled about on the ground, the clothing on his chest being burnt clear off of him. There was now a little hole in his uniform right in the middle of his chest.

"Are we having ze fun yet?" asked Emyre with a chuckle. "I mean I am having ze fun, but are you?" Emyre bent down and lifted Alexander's head up with his right hand. Emyre brought his left hand up and into the air. He brought is down with surprising force into Alexander's shoulder once again sending him sprawling back in pain. "Yes, I am having so much of ze fun! Ze Marines should send more soldier for me to slaughter!"

Alexander stood up once more. He patted his now naked shoulder. "Crap, I really liked my clothing made me feel special, you know."

"Oh, so now ze marine has some smack talk, no?" asked Emyre. He brought his left and right arm back up and slide them against each other igniting them both once again. He fired a flaming punch with his right fist straight for Alexander's head. Alexander brought his left hand up and blocked the punch.

Alexander leaned forward. "**Sledgehammer Uppercut!" **Alexander brought his right hand straight upwards and into Emyre's chin sending him straight into the air. "**Twin Mallets!" **Alexander spun around and brought left elbow straight up and into Emyre before he had the chance to fall back down to the ground. Alexander brought his right hand around and back down into Emyre sending him shuddering into the earth.

"Oh, ze Marine has more zen some smack talk," said Emyre as he stood up, "but it is not enough." He began to spin his middle three fingers on his left hand around in the palm of his right hand. Soon a large ball of flames began to take form in his right palm. "Now, I don't suggest you dodge zis one. Ze woods are already a bit damaged from my previous attacks, no? Ze last thing I want to do is light ze wonderful woods on fire and cause ze town people to panic."

"I get the scenario," said Alexander, "you don't need to explain it to me. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to explain some things to you."

"What's zat?" asked Emyre, "you aren't like ze other people I met? You are going to defeat me no matter what ze cost? Or how about zat you will save all ze people and I will be blown away by your power? I've heard it all before, so don't even bother." Emyre reached back and tossed the large ball of fire through the air.

"Have you heard this before? Hybrid form," said Alexander. His normal slightly tanned complexion was replaced with a dark blue coloration. Small studs lined the backs of his arms, shoulders, and back. His hair vanished into his skull, leaving his head smooth and blue. The fire ball collided with Alexander's chest and exploded all around him. A brilliant burning fire engulfed Alexander's body.

"Oh my god," laughed Emyre, "what a fool. I don't care what kind of Zoan-Type Devil Fruit you ate, no animals can handle ze raw power of fire! All animals fear fire for a reason! It is ze ultimate destructive force."

"Huh," said Alexander as he emerged out of the fire, "my hybrid form didn't absorb as much as the heat as I thought it would. I still felt a lot of the heat."

"What ze hell kind of Devil Fruit did you eat?" asked Emyre.

"You guys always ask the wrong question," said Alexander, "whenever anybody sees me they see a human that can turn into a steel bodied Marine, they miss the interesting part."

"I don't really care about ze interesting part," asked Emyre, "all I care about is whether or not I can kill you and zat just takes some a couple minutes of research." Emyre clapped his hands together once again igniting them in flames. He charged forward beginning to make a punch with his left hand.

"**Damascus Kick," **shouted Alexander as he brought his right leg straight up into the air. Alexander then brought his leg down with an extreme amount of force directly upon Emyre's shoulder. The force combined with the density of the metal, slammed into Emyre sending him straight into the earth beneath him.

Emyre twisted around and was back on his own two feet before Alexander even had the chance to launch another attack. Emyre shook his head. "You are gonna have to do better zen zat if you hope to defeat me." His arms were extinguished, probably when he was slammed into the ground the dust covered the fire and put it out. He reached into a small pocket on his pants and pulled out a small glass ball. He lifted it up to his face and smiled. He swirled the liquid within it around in front of his own two eyes.

"Catch!" Emyre tossed the glass ball at Alexander. Alexander brought his two arms up and in front of his body. The glass ball shattered as it came in contact with Alexander's arm. The clear liquid splashed all over Alexander.

Alexander groaned and backed up. The clear liquid coated his arms and most of his upper chest. He brought his arm up to his nose and took sniff. His eyes widened briefly before he quickly dodged another one of Emyre's blazing blows. "This is oil, isn't it?"

"Ah, you are a smart one," said Emyre as he straightened his back out. "And what happens when oil comes in contact with fire?" Emyre lifted his burning left hand into the air for emphasis. "Chances are…your death."

Emyre dashed forward his burning arms fully extended. Emyre reached out his arm aimed right at Alexander's throat. Alexander dodged backwards avoiding a possible devastating burn, but he wasn't quite fast enough to completely avoid Emyre. Emyre reached downward and grasped onto Alexander's leg with his burning left hand.

Alexander let out a sharp cry as he plummeted to the ground, his leg still searing with pain. Alexander quickly slammed his leg into the ground suffocating the fire and putting it out. Emyre wasn't down, though. He launched a downward chop with his still blazing right hand straight down. Alexander rolled to the side and watched as Emyre's chop drove his own hand into the ground beneath it.

Alexander brought himself up and back onto his own two feet. "**Sledgehammer Uppercut!" **Alexander took a quick step forward and brought his heavy iron fist straight into Emyre's jaw sending him up into the air. Alexander dashed forward and jumped up into the air with the intent of hitting Emyre again. But he was a little bit too slow. Emyre twisted around and brought his normal hand back around into Alexander. He opened his mouth and spat a small puddle of oil over Alexander's face. Alexander fell to the ground and landed on his stomach, Emyre was more fortunate and landed on his feet.

"You got oil in your mouth?" shouted Alexander as he brought his hand up to his face and tried to wipe the oil off of it.

"Among other zings," said Emyre as he walked closer to Alexander with a chuckle on his face, "ready for your one way ticket into some burning and agonizing pain?"

"**Ferric Fist!" **Alexander quickly fired a single punch straight at Emyre, his steel-like fist flying through the air. Emyre brought his two arms, trying to start another fire, but he was just a couple seconds too slow. Alexander's hard fist slammed into Emyre's chest, forcing air out of his lungs and probably wreaking havoc on his rib cage. Emyre hit the ground hard, he gasped for air as he tried to bring himself back to his feet, but Alexander was already on him. "**Full-Metal Hammer Heel!" **Alexander brought the heel of his foot straight down into Emyre's back. His heel forced Emyre right back into the ground.

Emyre grimaced as he laid at rest on the ground for a couple of seconds. Alexander placed his foot on the top of Emyre's head. "Where are the bombs?" asked Alexander as he began to apply a little amount of pressure behind his foot.

"Do not make me laugh," said Emyre from his place on the ground, "I'm a paid professional of ze Taka organization. I know better zen to spill ze beans on our operations. Death before failure."

"That's very admirable for a killer, but…" said Alexander as he began to press down harder with his foot, "I believe that you, personally, prefer failure before death. Let's test to see which one of us is right."

Emyre grunted at the increase in weight. "You're just wasting time right now. Ze bomb will go off before I tell you…as a matter of fact, even if I told you ze locations of ze bombs, you wouldn't be able to stop ze explosion."

"I guess that means you are fine with me killing you then," said Alexander.

"Yeah, right," said Emyre with a chuckle, "you and I both know you don't have ze rights. You need me to return to ze Marine Base for further interrogations. But you and I both know I won't say a zing."

"So are you saying I should kill you instead of taking you back to the Marine Base?"

"Of course," said Emyre. He opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue. On his tongue was a small piece of flint, "see you in ze afterlife!" He spat the small piece of flint off towards his left hand. The small piece of flint ignited as soon as it came it touch with Emyre's steel-coated left hand. His arm burst into a bright red flame. In one swift movement Emyre brought his left arm all the way up and grabbed a hold of Alexander's waist. The oil that was spilled over Alexander exploded into flames. And with Alexander, Emyre also disappeared in the flames.

(-With Rina-)

"Damn," said Rina as she nearly crumpled under her own weight. She had barely gotten out of the prison when she collapsed. Now her ears were ringing…loudly. She tried to get back up, but her legs still weren't strong enough either due to blood loss or maybe the obsidian arrow tips really did do their trick. She stumbled forward another couple of inches.

"Here she is!" shouted a man. He was dressed in the same royal armor as the rest of the guards. He rushed to her side.

"Shit," said Rina, "gonna k-kick a girl while she's down."

"Sam told us the story," said the man as he lifted her up. Rina immediately fell back to the ground. A second man ran up to her, together the two men lifted her up. "Do you happen to know where the bombs are?"

"I was hoping you'd know," said Rina, "I wouldn't t-think she could plant a couple of bombs among a place like this without b-being spotted." Rina breathed heavily, she was running out of breath.

"She's good," said the man, "she was hired to do this. Its not likely that she…"

"Shut up," said the second man.

"What? Why!" shouted the first man.

"Can't you tell that the little girl passed out?" replied the second man. The first man looked over at Rina. Her head was slumped down between her shoulders. Her legs were dragging across the ground.

"Passed out or dead?" said the first man.

"Either way we got to get her to the infirmary and stop the bombs."

"Leave it to the Marines to have the local forces do all the work while they sleep."

* * *

><p>Ungrateful soldiers. Anyways, Emyre has been taken down by the brute force of Alexander's hybrid form. I had a little problem with the ending, but that just shows you the lengths Alexander goes to protect the innocent. Rina has been knocked out cold due to loss of blood or disease in her body take your pick. The bombs are about to blow, Alexander was caught in an explosion of fire, Rina's knocked, Mark's pretty close to dead, so whose left to save day? Find out next time!<p>

Also, if you review the character submission form (like any of you do that), I made a slight edit to the 'Sexual Orientation' section and the 'Devil Fruit' section. Nothing major or to get worked up about. I just stated if there is anyone in the story you want your character to be in love with (or if you want them to be single) please say so. Also if you submit a Devil Fruit please give me details on its powers.


	11. Chapter 11 The Assassin's Endgame

**The Assassin's Endgame!**

**Frantic Search for the Bomb, King, and Rina!**

The soldiers were covering every inch of the palace. They covered the prison, dining room, and, even the bedrooms all in search for a bomb. The soldiers were all split up. There was a large group searching the grounds, another gang on the top of the roof, and more people in the actual building.

"How are we supposed to find a bomb?" asked one of the soldiers as he pulled his helmet back. He had a light auburn hair color neatly patted down. "Shouldn't we just evacuate the building? We are searching for a bomb and we don't know what it looks like or where it is located."

"We either find that bomb," said another soldier, "or we find a funeral service. Take your pick." He started to shuffle back through the room once more to locate the bomb. "We got more then fifty soldiers on this case, we'll find it."

"Yeah," said the first soldier, "one bomb. How hard can it be? Does that stupid Taka organization think that they'll be able to pull one over on us." He reached over and picked up some papers and moved them over to the sides. "We aren't new to some rebellious attack."

"Really," said the second, "we know what we are doing." He bent down and knocked on the wooden floors beneath them. It was quiet and solid knock. "Man…Taka? The Taka organization? Are they the ones that decided to pull this stunt? I don't remember them saying that during the debriefing."

The first soldier swallowed his spit. "You don't? You must've missed it. It was about how a couple of warriors they sent in planted a dangerous bomb in this palace. They were both probably taken out already no need to worry. How those IDIOTS could've fouled up such a simply mission like PLANT A FREAKIN' BOMB I'll never know!"

"Are you okay?" asked the second soldier, "you sound like you have some resentment towards these folks." He put his hand lightly on his partner's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but…" said the first soldier as he wiped his auburn hair out of his eyes, "…you are starting bug me." Within a minute he spun around and brandished his sword. He drove the sharp metal tip into his partner's stomach. A light smirk dashed across his face, "the briefing wasn't complete. Three assassins came from Taka's organization, my two partners were Plan A. Plant a bomb, light a signal, destroy the castle. I am Plan B. Assassinate the king."

The second soldier opened his mouth and some blood spilled out. "Why are you doing this?"

The first soldier shook his head. "Isn't it obvious! I'm from Boyd. I'm their top warrior. You see, how did I know of the Marine's plan to sneak the prince in on a separate ship, simple I was told! They asked me and Mark to come in and protect him, I told them I couldn't make it, I told them that I was sick! I knew of their plans and I plotted against them. We win because we knew of their plans! Lieutenant Chiran, Captain Alexander, fifty of their finest warriors! They are all going to die! Even if…I have to…do it…myself!" The man brought his sword back around and straight through the soldier's neck. He chuckled and left. "This kingdom is going down and you all have me to thank."

(-with Alexander-)

"Crap…crap…crap," said Alexander as he trudged through the woods with both Mark and crispy Emyre on his back. "I hate my job. I REEAALLLY hate me job."

Mark eyes' slowly opened. He pushed himself off of Alexander and onto his own two feet. "Don't treat me like I'm some sort of little child. I got two feet and I can use them." Mark eyes were still halfway closed, his body was still burnt in several places, not to mention bruised.

"If you got two feet can you also use your arms and carry this guy?" asked Alexander motioning to Emyre.

"Why bother?" asked Mark as he fell up against tree, breathing heavily. "I'm pretty sure he is dead. Just drop the guy, we'll arrange a funeral for him if it makes you feel better. Can we slow down a little bit?"

"Maybe you can, but I can't," said Alexander as he surged forward again through the brush of the woods, "I got people to save. I got a kingdom to save." Alexander pushed another wave of branches away from his eyes. He was finally out of the woods. The kingdom opened up in front of him.

"I am jealous of Lieutenant Chiran," said Mark as he got up off of the tree, "she's sitting around chatting with king probably having a feast with him right now and I'm stuck following Alexander through the woods to save the day."

"You know what?" said Alexander as he tossed Emyre off of his back and onto the ground, "this guy's half dead. You stay here and make sure he doesn't suddenly come alive again. I'm going to go on ahead." Alexander dashed forward with increased vigor across the wild plains.

"I don't think that guy's human," said Mark as he sat down with his head in his hands, resting. "I think that guy is some sort of monster."

Alexander's entire body ached as he charged towards the large building. Its ivory walls just barely in front of him. He paused as he looked at the courtyard. Dozens of men dressed in armor were scouring the yards, each with a panicked look on their face. Alexander charged forward and up to the nearest man. "Whatever you are doing stop it!"

"What? Why?" asked the soldier, his hand instinctually going to the hilt of his blade. The only thing stopping him from drawing it was the thought that this guy seemed vaguely familiar.

"There's a bomb located here," said Alexander gripping his side, a new wave of pain surging through his body. "If we don't stop it, this entire palace is going to go up in flames."

"You are little late with the news!" shouted soldier as he twisted back around and began to search through the garden's corn crops. "We've got news of the bomb a long time ago! The king's long lost son told us all about it. He said he overheard two women talking about it, one of them a Marine officer and the other…" Alexander reached forward and lifted the man off of his feet.

"Where is the Marine officer?" asked Alexander, "what happened to her?"

"She's in the castle's infirmary, healing up!" shouted the soldier, panicking, "she was in pretty bad shape. The doctor said she's got some kind of disease in her body! Its an old disease and there is plenty of medicine that will fix it, but it'll take time." Alexander dropped the man and turned and headed into the castle.

"I'm not going to allow another Marine to die on my watch," said Alexander as he busted through the doors and into the castle. Alexander looked around. The castle was barren. He didn't even hear the rushed footsteps of soldiers trying to find the bomb, much less see any of them. He shook those thoughts clear from his head, he had to find Rina, the king, and Sam. The soldiers could find the bomb, he would just evacuate in case of a worst possible scenario.

He charged up through the stairs to the top floor. If he remembered correctly from all the stories he read, kings had a thing for the highest room in the tallest tower. If he happened to pass the infirmary on the way up, this would be a good day. He quickly rounded the stair leading to the third floor, the tallest tower was only six floors high, he was halfway there. He suddenly heard a sharp and pain-filled cry. He turned around busted into one of the rooms nearest to him.

The room was a mess. Overturned tables, destroyed lamps, and a bloody soldier in the far corner. Alexander ran up to the man and picked him up, "are you alright?"

The soldier smiled weakly, "that's the first time anyone has ever asked me that. I'm the general of this country's army, I've only been wounded three times in all four of our wars. Now I'm going to die because of some sneak attack."

"You aren't going to die," said Alexander, "you are still breathing and you are still talking. You can still make it. We have to save the king."

"The king?" asked the soldier with a weak smile, "we evacuated him and his son awhile ago. They should be safely tucked away in some remote location now guarded by fifteen of my best soldiers."

"Okay," said Alexander. That was two less people he had to worry about. That made him feel better. "What about the infirmary? How do I get to the infirmary from here?"

The soldier's mouth opened slightly then closed back up. His arm collapsed to his side and blood spilled from his mouth. Alexander frantically pressed his head to the man's heart. There wasn't the slightest sound emanating from the mans chest. Alexander dropped the man to the ground. "I'll make sure your country arranges you a proper burial." Alexander's legs suddenly felt like collapsing. A small break after a day's worth of running was so refreshing, but now it was over. He had to get a move on, he had to find and save Rina and then find and dismantle the bomb. Alexander took off out of the room. His eyes wide with panic.

He rushed back down to the first floor. If the infirmary was anywhere it wound be down here, right? More air, cooler, less travel from the battlegrounds to get here? Makes sense. Alexander dashed down the hallway trying to find a sign or a post that read 'infirmary'. No luck.

Then he heard a dog barking.

(-A few seconds ago in the infirmary-)

A small man in a white coat was tossed helplessly across the room. A second man pressed towards him, his auburn hair waving in the wind. His glistening sword held high above his head. "The third step in the downfall of a nation, kill the heir. The second, kill the king. But before you do those steps, you must kill the person that can fix them, so you kill the doctor." He plunged his sword deep into the doctor's skull.

The man shook his head and walked over to the bed the doctor was just stationed at. In it laid a young girl, her raven-black hair stretched peacefully behind her. She was dressed in a white sailor uniform, or the remains of one. Her shirt had several tears in it underneath each one was a bandage to keep her from bleeding.

The man wiped her hair out of her eyes. "Tis this the Marine that did you in, Pura Pupuran?" He lifted his blade up and laid it next to her neck. "I'm not a completely heartless man. I am still a comrade to my fallen companions, no matter how weak they are." He picked his sword back up and nicked the woman's neck, drawing a small stream of blood.

"You look familiar," said the man as he bent down onto his knees and looked over the woman's face. "A childhood friend, maybe?" He inspected the woman's face, "impossible. My ship was destroyed when I was young, all of its inhabitants were killed, except for me. Tis sad then that I should meet and kill a woman who reminds me so much of my ole' friend. Oh, well, a job tis a job!" He lifted his sword up high above Rina's head.

A small black and white blur dashed off and smashed into the man's face. The man's grip loosened up causing his sword to clatter to the ground. The man immediately sprang back up to his feet. He eyed the annoying beast that interrupted his job. It was a small black and white Shiba Inu. The dog barked loudly at the man. He ran his hand through his hair and narrowed his eyes on the dog.

"I don't enjoy killing dumb animals," he said as he re-gripped his sword, "but it tis my job to kill anyone or anything that gets in my way." The man gripped his sword and aimed it at Hayate, the dog. The man suddenly brought his sword down, "I'll just let the bomb kill you. I'd rather not have your pathetic blood stain my perfect blade." He sheathed his sword. "I have a king to kill anyways." The man jumped out of the window and disappeared.

Hayate quickly jumped on top of Rina's bed and began to paw away the blankets. Once Rina was uncovered Hayate quickly grabbed a hold of Rina's collar and began to pull her off of the bed and towards the door. He was just at the door when Alexander came bursting in.

"Good boy, Hayate," said Alexander as he looked down at the little dog and patted him on the head. He quickly picked Rina up in his arms, lifted her off of the ground, and slung her over his shoulder. Alexander looked at the open window, they were on the first floor after all. He made a startling fast leap for it. He leapt out of the window and onto the courtyard.

The courtyard was massive and a large amount of guards were still around looking for the bomb. A few of them noticed Alexander and dashed over him, their guns and swords at the ready. Soon three men had surrounded Alexander each of them with their guns all aimed at his head.

"What are you doing with that young lady, sir?" asked one of the guards his finger balancing on the trigger of the gun.

"Oh, sorry," said Alexander, "I just found her lying unconscious in the infirmary and I was just going to take her to my ship."

"You 'found' an unconscious girl in the infirmary and you are going to take her to 'your' ship?" asked the guard his finger still on the trigger of the gun.

"Man, when you say it, it sounds like you are accusing me of kidnapping her," said Alexander.

"Do you admit that you took her without permission?" asked the guard.

"She's my partner," said Alexander, "she wants to go to my ship. Look I'll even let her sleep in my bed if it makes you feel any better."

"She's your partner? She wants to go to your ship?" said the guard, "do you honestly expect me to believe that this young beauty is your girlfriend?"

"Ye…" began Alexander before he stopped himself short, "what was that? You think that I'm with…wait, you don't think I could be with…HEY! I could be with this if I wanted to!" Alexander grimaced as he heard a quick growl from Hayate.

"Attention, trash!" shouted a voice.

Alexander and the guards whisked their heads around in a flurry of motions looking for the source. Finally their eyes rested on the top of the building. A young man with auburn hair stood atop the palace. A sword on his waist. "ATTENTION! I have horrible news for you!"

* * *

><p>Hayate-Kun to the rescue! Hayate has bravely fought away an assassin about to his harm his master! Now if only Alexander could have the same heroic ship, but sadly he still has a problem with knowing what to say and when to say it. When you are carrying an unconscious good-looking girl it is a bad idea to say you are taking her to YOUR ship. The end of the arc is next! The auburn haired assassin is the true mastermind behind this plan.<p> 


	12. Chapter 12 Alexander's Endgame

**Alexander's Endgame!**

**In a Time of War!**

"ATTENTION! I have news for you," shouted the young man with auburn hair as he unsheathed his sword, "I, the greatest warrior of Boyd, Tessa, has come here to end the war between our warring nations."

The eyes of all of the guards quickly became fixated at the figure. They completely forgot about the bomb located within the palace set to go off in a few more moments. Even Alexander was staring at the young and confident man.

"You may ask me how do I plan to do this?" asked Tessa as he brushed the hair out of his eyes, "how do I plan to end this war that plagues us? The answer is simple. I have come to negotiate, the location of the bomb for your complete and utter surrender…you have about five more minutes until the bomb goes off."

"What!" shouted the guards. A large wave of murmur broke through the crowd.

"I knew it! Those bastards from Boyd were behind this!"

"He's nothing more then killer and a terrorist!"

"I say instead of our surrender we give him a bullet to the head!"

The murmurs continued for quite some time. Until Tessa's voice boomed over the courtyard once more. "I understand you are worried about the fact that your king would be understandably upset with you. You are about to give up your kingdom to spare one palace, so let me make this easier for you." Tessa bent down, his figure disappearing behind the castle walls. Moments later he reappeared.

Tessa lifted a young feminine looking boy up and into plain view of all of the guards. "This boy here is a planned negotiating chip of the Marines. He is the illegitimate child of your rapscallion of a king and my blessed queen. Do you really want to follow the lead of such a disgraceful king? The kind that would betray the late queen? I ask you!"

"I didn't know the king even had a son!"

"He's lying! That bastard's lying!"

"Don't hurt the young majesty!"

Alexander kept his eyes trained on Tessa and Sam. Sam looked out of it, he looked drain of all of his energy, and downright tired. He probably couldn't even lift a finger or hear someone tell him to.

Tessa smiled. The crowd was playing into his hands, "Put down your arms this instant, give into my demands, and surrender to the kingdom of Boyd!"

There was a clatter of metal as swords as well as guns were dropped to the ground. The guards all wore the same defeated look on their faces. Alexander still stood strong, his eyes focused on Tessa waiting for the man's next move.

"Great," said Tessa, "we'll send in a ship tomorrow morning to collect your papers. It will be big…a galleon with purple sails. And a white silhouette of a butterfly on the front of the sails. And just to make sure you don't get any bright ideas…" Tessa unsheathed his sword and held the sword tight to Sam's neck, "I think I need to demonstrate my strength and resolve to you, one innocent boy ought to do it."

"Hayate guard Rina!" shouted Alexander as he literally dropped Rina onto the ground and dashed forward to Tessa and Sam.

Tessa plunged his shining sword deep into Sam's chest. He let go of Sam's collar allowing him to plummet to the ground. Alexander surged forward and barely caught Sam before he smashed into the ground, "Do I need to further demonstrate my strength?" said Tessa as he waved his sword about in the air.

"He killed the young majesty!" shouted one of the guards as he lifted his gun up and aimed it at Tessa. He pulled the trigger and sent a small bullet flying through the air at Tessa. Tessa vanished from his spot and reappeared next to the guard who fired the first bullet, his sword plunged into the man's head.

"I don't believe you know what you are up against," said Tessa as he pulled the sword out, "I wield the Sandai Kitetsu I, a legendary sword famous for the massacres it led. When it was first forged its master led a rebellion against the king and won."

"Only to be killed with his own blade a few days later," said Alexander as he set Sam down on the ground and approached Tessa, "every one of its masters had met a gruesome demise. I think you are about to meet yours." Alexander's body quickly became coated in blue metal, small metal studs jutting out of his skin.

"Are you the Marine?" asked Tessa, "are you one of those Marines who don't do anything? When a stranded ship gets assaulted by a pirate ship, all of its inhabitants killed, well, all except for one. The one who plead with the pirates to spare his life, who plead with them to make him their slave, rather then killing him! He was aboard the ship for years, training, killing, working hard, and waiting. Waiting for the Marines to come and save him! They never came! He was left with murderous pirates for years until he lost it, killed several of them and escaped. That was my childhood thanks to you!" Tessa dashed forward his sword swinging wildly at Alexander forcing him back and out of the kingdom's courtyard.

Alexander tumbled backwards and into the rough wilds. Short grass stretched out all around them. Tessa charged forward forcing Alexander back a few more feet, his sword driving back and forth towards Alexander.

Alexander leaned forward and fired a punch at Tessa's head, "**Ferric Fist!" **Tessa did a back flip landing him away from Alexander's deadly punch. Tessa quickly recovered onto his own two feet, just in time to see Alexander's next punch come sailing through the air at him. "**Sledgehammer Uppercut!" **Alexander brought his fist straight straight up at Tessa's jaw. Tessa brought his blade over and blocked the uppercut using the back of his blade.

"Just like all of the Marines," said Tessa, "weak and worthless! Unable to save me from my time of doom and unable to even touch the soon-to-be killer of hundreds!" Tessa lunged forward with his blade extended, he made a quick sweep with his sword forcing Alexander back. "Just admit to your own weaknesses! The Age of the Pirates has weakened the Marines forces, they have been dwindling for a long time, ever since the Whitebeard War! First you lost Sengoku and Garp, then even Kizaru and Akainu died! The Age of the Marines will never come now!" Tessa thrust his blade forward at Alexander, Alexander dodged backwards avoiding the piercing blade's stab.

Tessa drove forward once again, his sword becoming almost a blur. "You told me that all of the Sandai Kitetsu's owners experienced a horrible and tragic death," screamed Tessa as he made another vertical swipe, "a horrible and tragic death seems perfect for me! An end to my horrible and tragic life! A sweet end if you ask me, how much worse could my death be then my life already was?" Tessa swept forward his sword driving right past Alexander, "Answer me that!"

Alexander tried to dodge another startling sweep from Tessa's wicked blade, but all the dodging he had done already had positioned him in a terrible spot. His foot got caught on the stump of a tree and sent him crashing down to the ground. Tessa didn't give him a second to relax as he drove his sword directly down at Alexander. Alexander brought his hand up and in front of him to block the stab.

Alexander's eyes widened as the blade slipped straight into his hand, spilling blood all over him. "What?" shouted Alexander as he recoiled and jumped back, "how did you…? How did you cut me? I'm made of metal."

"Flesh, stone, metal," said Tessa as he wiped the blood off of his blade, "all of it is the same to my Sandai Kitetsu. I can cut you in two quickly, but if I did so, then who would go and deactivate the bomb? You interrupted me before I could tell them the location. That place is about to be a bomb fire, unless you go back there and stop it this instant."

"Yeah, and I should trust you," said Alexander glaring at Tessa.

"I'd actually prefer it if you didn't," said Tessa as he wiped his blade once more, "cause if you don't hundreds of innocent lives will be destroyed because of a Marine. The whole world will see what kind of lazy bastards you really are. It is in the armory, hidden under the floorboards, the smell of gunpowder from the armory covers it up."

Alexander breathed heavily as he looked straight down, taking it all in. He gritted his teeth, "damn you. DAMN YOU!" shouted Alexander as he took off for the palace once more.

Tessa smiled as he watched Alexander disappear on the horizon. He stayed where he was and waited, until a second figure appeared from the nearby woods. Emyre had his hand wrapped around his side, "so did everything go according to plan?"

Tessa nodded, "Pretty much. The warriors from Ghorl have decided to allow the Boyd warship to sail in. They have set their weapons aside and when the Boyd warship sails in for the 'negotiations', hundreds of innocent men will be killed. And it will all appear as if Boyd was the bad guy."

"What about Pura Pupuran?" asked Emyre as he grimaced in pain from his wounds, "she's been captured."

"She has her lines," said Tessa as he sheathed his sword onto his waist, "when she is interrogated she will say Boyd paid her to do her job, murder their soldiers, and plant the bomb. Just as you would've done."

"Heh," said Emyre with a grunt," said Emyre, "so everything went according to plan."

"Almost everything went according to plan," said Tessa, "our plan didn't include you losing."

"It was just a small hitch," said Emyre with a nervous chuckle, "Pura Pupuran lost too. The Marines were just unnaturally tough. I'll do better next time."

"I'm sorry," said Tessa as he flashed his sword out of his sheath, "but our plan was not to return with another person incapable of winning a fight. I do greatly apologize, ally…I didn't want to have to kill you."

"Don't…" said Emyre as he backed up. He brought his two arms up and crossed them, about to ignite them both.

"Sorry," said Tessa, "our plan needs to go off without a hitch. And right now you are that hitch!" Tessa flicked the sword out in an instant, his sword slashed through Emyre's arms, severing them from his body. Emyre fell to the ground, his eyes wide with fear. "I really didn't want to." His sword came through in one fluid motion, separating Emyre's head from his shoulders.

(-On the One Eon, a day later-)

"Urgh," said Rina as her hand crept up to her head. "Why is the room spinning?" Rina looked around the room hazily. Hayate laying next to her bed with a large bone in his mouth. "Hey, there Hayate," said Rina as she patted the bed next to her. Hayate looked up and happily jumped onto the bed.

"So, what has happened?" asked Rina trying to recall the past day's events. "The bomb!" shouted Rina as she sprang up from her bed. She looked down at her clothes. Her outfit was torn and tattered. She grimaced. She would've preferred to be fully dressed, rather then in rags, but no problem. There was a knock on the door. "Come in!" shouted Rina.

"Oh, what do you know, you are up," said Alexander as he walked in. He had a large silver tray in his hands. "Just brought in your medication." He picked up a small cup that contained water and a plate with four pills on it.

"Four pills?" asked Rina as she took them from Alexander, "most medication you only need to take two at a time."

"Yeah," said Alexander, "two of them is for the disease in your body from the obsidian arrows, the other two are for…your mild concussion."

"C-Concussion?" asked Rina as she rubbed her hair, "I don't remember being hit upside the head. I remember being shot at by an crossbow, but no hits to the head."

"Yeah…" said Alexander, "apparently while you were knocked out some guy dropped you."

"What an idiot," said Rina as she took the pills.

"I'm sure he was just preoccupied at the time," said Alexander, "you know saving falling kids or something."

"You don't have to defend everyone," said Rina.

"I feel the need to defend this guy," said Alexander, "he just wasn't think straight. He was too busy focusing on the war."

"Oh, wait! What happened to the bomb!" shouted Rina remembering the bomb.

"They found it," said Alexander. He moved to sit down on the bed as well, but Hayate made a quick growl that sent him shooting back onto his two feet. "Beneath the armory."

"Oh!" shouted Rina, "that's great."

"Speaking of which," said Alexander, "we have a prisoner downstairs. The girl you fought, we are transporting her back to the Marine Base for interrogation."

"You captured her!" shouted Rina shooting up from her bed. Questions about her gypsy ship and Kano's ship began to race through her mind. "I'm going to go down and talk to her this instant!" Rina got up and raced down into the prison beneath the ship.

"Yeah," said Alexander, "ignore the fact that you've been passed out for a few days, the fact that Mark has disappeared, or the fact that our mission was a complete failure. Just race down and talk to the prisoner."

The prison was only one cell. There was only person in there and she was chained up, her purple hair hung limply around her head. She was dressed in a black and white shirt and pants. Her face looked depleted of energy.

"Tell me," said Rina as she approached the cell. She had her chakram in full view of the prisoner, "where is Kano?"

Pura Pupuran lifted her head up with what little energy she had left and smiled, "The New World."

* * *

><p>I apologize a hundred times over with the lateness here. I have been battling life lately to get it down by today. College + moving + curing a sunburn takes time and sadly that time came out of everything, including my stories. But don't worry I should be able to get right on track soon.<p>

As you can plainly see these assassins are not to be trifled with. It is almost as if Pura Pupuran was 'supposed' to be captured and interrogated where she can give the Marines false information. Anyways, the job here is done! The Arc is now finished with a new worldwide assassination group having risen through the ranks to annoy the Marines.


	13. Chapter 13 Meet the Marines

**Meet the Marines!**

**The Manliest Marine!**

Alexander gratefully stepped foot onto the solid ground. As a Devil Fruit user, he hated long voyages at sea, especially when his only companions were a girl who clubbed him when he said basically anything and a dog who seemed to hate him. He wanted someone to talk to on the long voyages or keep him company, but these two definitely seemed like weird choices. But all-in-all they were his crew.

Rina quickly stepped off of the boat and onto solid ground, with Hayate at her heels. The Marine Base hadn't changed much since their last visit, but there seemed to be a large crowd gathered on the shore a few yards down. Rina and Alexander wandered down to it, surprised to see so much commotion. They then saw the reason why.

A huge white whale had washed up on shore. It was massive. Its gargantuan fins alone were enough to crush a crowd of people. Rina chuckled nervously at the giant. Alexander smiled. They were a small group of people, trying pointlessly to push the monster back into the sea. None of them accomplishing anything.

"I t-think we should go see the Veri F-Fresh," said Rina with a slight tug on Alexander's shirt. She wanted to see what they could drag out of Pura Pupuran. Not only about Taka, but also about her former crew. She wanted that information.

"Hold on," said Alexander as he wheeled his arm around in a circle, "let me go push this guy back into the sea. Since these guys apparently can't do anything." Alexander approached the beast and put both of his hands up against it. He struggled as he put his entire body into pushing the sea creature forward. Again even with his effort the crowd achieved nothing, but a few inches. "Move!" shouted Alexander with another push, "move! If I can't move you I'll find out how roasted whale taste!"

"He's a big'un, ain't he?" asked another voice as a new person walked onto the beach. The man was lean, but muscular. He had short black hair, and was dressed in a royal blue sleeveless top and black cargo pants. He scooped one hand down underneath the large whale and then he brought his second hand down and beneath the wall again. His muscles surged and grew as he lifted the massive behemoth into the air with ease. He brought his left hand away from the giant beast leaving only his right hand beneath the whale, but he didn't drop the whale. Instead he was lifting the whale into the air with ease with only one hand.

The man brought his foot down and tossed the impressive beast out a few yards and into the water. He smirked as he returned back to his feet. He looked out over the group, all of who looked at the man and his strength. Without another word he walked away.

"That's Ichigo Toumachi!" shouted one of the men in the group, "his strength is comparable to even Admirals. That throw was proof."

Alexander looked back at the man who just walked away. A man whose strength is comparable to Admirals…that's something. Alexander had to wonder what rank he was at if that was true.

"Let's go to Veri Fresh," said Rina, "he'll want to know what h-happened. Chances are by now n-news of our failure have probably reached him."

"Uh…" said Alexander, "actually I'd rather go get a drink before I see him."

"What? Why?" asked Rina.

"He's easier to stand if you have had a couple of drinks before hand," said Alexander as he began to head down the hallways to the bar the Marines had.

"Uh…" said Rina before resigning, "I could go for a couple glasses of saké."

The duo soon arrived in the bar. After a couple of minutes, Rina had already knocked back quite a few drinks. Alexander was still swishing his first around in his glass. Hayate was rolled up in a ball, calmly sleeping at Rina's feet. A couple of tables away another Marine was standing on top of the table. He was surrounded by a bunch of other Marines and random workers.

"So, there I was surrounded by fifty, no one hundred soldiers…at least!" the man shouted, "my men were all taken out, by this group being headed by no one other then the 28 million belie man, Vonnegut Stickler. So, I'm all that we have left. I reach into my Bag O' Surprises and pull out my FLARE BUSTER! I take aim and launch the flare. It careens through the air sticks one of his men in the shoulders and then…BOOM! Explodes! About twenty or so men are now screaming and running around another ten are lying on the ground, dead or unconsciousness. Next thing is…the Bang Blast! I toss a grenade and bang another thirty or so. This continues until it is just me and this Vonnegut Stickler fellow, who I'm pretty wet himself at this point!"

"That's our man, Landon Driss, shoots and scores again and again!" shouted one of the men around him.

"Its all true, too," said another of the Marines, "I saw him bring in Vonnegut Stickler this morning. The man was freakin' huge at that. Everything I heard about him was weird. The man's jaw was practically broke."

Alexander sighed as he returned his attention to his drink.

"Jealous?" asked Rina as she took another glass of saké.

"How are you not drunk, yet?" asked Alexander looking at Rina's multiple glasses piled up.

"I like saké," said Rina as she reclined backwards, "I'm not a l-lightweight like you."

"Okay," said Alexander, "I'm ready to go see Veri Fresh now." He stood up and pushed his chair back.

The barkeeper chuckled, "Veri Fresh? I'm sorry, buddy, but it looks like you didn't hear the news."

"What news?" asked Alexander.

"The Vice Admiral is back. And trust me, from the rumors in these halls. He is the hardest hard-ass you will ever meet. The strongest of men go in there and then they leave crying like babies. Rumors have it that this person even made a Shichibukai cry."

"Great," said Alexander, "I think I just found me a role model."

"What about Veri Fresh?" asked Rina, concerned.

"Don't worry," laughed the barkeeper, "he's still working here. Just the Vice Admiral has rank over him. Veri Fresh obeys his orders and you obey both of their orders!"

"I don't need someone else giving me orders…I'll just ignore Veri Fresh," said Alexander with a shrug, "let's go see this hard-ass."

"I'm starting to have s-serious doubts about this V-Vice Admiral fellow," said Rina.

"Then you can wait out in the hall," said Alexander, "I'm going to go have a little word with the Vice Admiral." Alexander turned on his heels and dashed through the door.

The barkeeper stood there with a smile on his face. "I'd go with him if I were you," said the barkeeper looking at Rina.

"W-why's that?" asked Rina,

"From what I've heard the Vice Admiral goes easier on females then males," said the barkeeper with a confident smirk, "and since you two failed your mission, I'd say…

"Wait!" said Rina surprised, "how do you know we f-failed our mission?"

"I've got my ears to the ground in this place," said the barkeeper, "I know everything about everything that goes on in here. I can give you an in-depth description of Gaia's body from head-to-toe."

"How the hell would I k-know if you were lying?" asked Rina feeling as if she just outsmarted this obviously sick man.

"Of course YOU'd know," said the barkeeper with a suggestive wink.

"HAYATE!" shouted Rina. The little dog's ears shot up as he brought himself up with lightening speed and power. He launched himself upwards at the barkeeper, knocking both of them down to the ground. Rina immediately turned around and rushed out of the room. Just as she was about to leave she turned around and added one more thing to the conversation, "I wouldn't do anything like that!"

Alexander, who had apparently stopped and was waiting on the outside of the room, looked at Rina quizzically, "do anything like what?"

"Uh…uh…uh…" stammered Rina at a complete loss of what to say to the ever-oblivious Alexander, "HAYATE!" The dog's ears shot up once again as he charged forward through the room and out of the door, pouncing onto Alexander, sending him hurtling for the floor. Rina quickly began to walk away with even a look back at Alexander.

"What did I say?" asked Alexander, completely lost. Hayate, still on top of him, offered a happy bark as an answer. Alexander glared upwards at Hayate. "You enjoy jumping on me, don't you?" Hayate's reply was another happy bark.

Alexander shoved Hayate off of him with one hand and stood up with another. "I really need to get a different partner. This one is trying to kill me by having her dog attack me." Hayate tilted his head as he gave another happy look at Alexander.

"Come on, boy," said Alexander, "we need to go catch up with Rina. Maybe she has a spray bottle I could use to splash you with." Hayate offered a small whimper as a sign of empathy. "Oh, no," said Alexander glaring at the dog, "I'm spraying you." Hayate burst out into a run and began to sprint forward towards the direction Rina went in. A large tick appeared on Alexander's face as he became annoyed, "COME BACK HERE, YOU WORHTLESS MUTT!"

Hayate rounded a corner and then another, Alexander hot on his trails. Suddenly they saw it. The large doors signaling the main office of the base. The doors were currently being held open by two different Marine soldiers. Alexander could just make out Rina's figure along with Veri Fresh's. A third figure sat in a chair higher then both of them. Hayate cleared into the room and straight into Rina's arms. Alexander skidded into the floor, sliding straight across it and finally coming to rest a few feet away from them.

"Really, Alexander?" asked Rina looking up at him while cuddling with Hayate, "still tormenting poor little Hayate. I f-figured you'd stop being so mean to him once you got to know him."

"But its HIM! He is the devil's dog!" shouted Alexander.

"I guess that makes me the devil then," said Rina glaring at Alexander as if daring him to say it.

"Pretty much," shouted Alexander. Rina's glare hardened at him. Alexander was about to continue talking when Veri Fresh's hand slid in front of his mouth and stopped him.

"He meant to stop talking after 'pretty'," said Veri Fresh, "as in 'you are too pretty to be the devil'."

"She's the devil in disguise!" shouted Alexander. "And her dog is really a three-headed urinating-in-the-bed man-hating LIZARD BEAST!"

"Lizard beast?" asked Rina, wondering how that got added into the insults.

The other figure Alexander saw in the room stepped down from the incredibly high chair. It was a female. She was about 4' 11" and had her blonde hair tied up in pigtails. She wore a black dress suit with a white Marine coat over it. She had her pure brown eyes trained at Alexander, "I do not accept such name-calling in MY OFFICE!"

"Your office?" shouted Alexander standing up, "I think you might want to double check and then run for cover. Because the manliest of all the Marines is the Vice Admiral who will be taking this place over…"

"Shut up," said Veri Fresh in a hushed voice.

"…and I'm sure he'd love to hear a sweet innocent little girl claim his room as his own while he is around because he is not above making people like you cry and wet their underpants…"

"Please god, shut him up," said Veri Fresh in a normal voice. Rina looked at Veri Fresh and then at the woman.

"…after that I'm sure you could fetch me and him some drinks while we talk about my latest mission," said Alexander finishing up.

"YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHEN TO SHUT UP!" shouted Veri Fresh jumping up in between the two of them staring down at Alexander.

The girl had her head down her bangs flowing in front of her face, she reached her hand up and grabbed a hold of Veri Fresh's purple hair. "First off get this ridiculous hairstyle out of my FACE!" She pulled back and tossed Veri Fresh and his hair halfway across the room. Her hand reached forward and wrapped tightly around Alexander's face, "Second off, GET THIS WEAK PATHETIC LOSER OUT OF MY FACE!" She leaned back and tossed Alexander out of the door and across half of the hall.

She strutted over to Alexander and stood above him, "I AM THE NEW VICE ADMIRAL!"

Rina stifled a laugh, "apparently the manliest of all the Marines is a female."

* * *

><p>Alexander speaks aaaannnnnddddd…Alexander screws up. He really needs to learn to shut up, doesn't he? Also, just want to point out some of the OC's I mentioned in this chapter. Notice: Just because your OC did appear does not mean that he will or will not be accepted to the crew. First off, is Ichigo Toumachi by SlyCoooperFanGirl! Next is Landon Driss by Key and Lock.<p>

Finally, just because I'm an Elvis fan.

She walks like an angel, talks like an angel. BUT SHE'S THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE!


	14. Chapter 14 The Taka Investigation begins

**Taka Investigation Begins!**

"What! You can't be the new Vice Admiral!" shouted Alexander from his place on the ground.

"Oh, really, and why not?" asked the girl as she loomed over him.

"Well, because…because…" thought Alexander trying to figure out a way to put this delicately.

"Just shut up before you do any more collateral damage," said Rina in a quiet voice.

"Aha!" said Alexander figuring out what to say, "because you are a girl."

"A very pretty girl!" shouted Veri Fresh jumping in between them again, "too pretty to be the Vice Admiral! Just too pretty!" He bent down and picked up Alexander and quickly dragged him outside. Once safely out of earshot Veri Fresh bent down and looked Alexander in the eye, "listen whenever a woman is mad at you always call her pretty, okay? Women love to be called pretty and they won't try to kill you."

Veri Fresh's parrot chimed in from his shoulder, "kill you."

"Really?"

"Yes!" said Veri Fresh, "trust me. I've dealt with my daughter for as long as she's been alive. Calling her pretty is one of the few ways to defuse. Also another thing about women is that they love being told that they are right, even if they are not! Okay, so all women are pretty and right."

"Cool!" said Alexander as he stood up, patted himself off and walked back into the room.

Veri Fresh stayed out in the hallway for a couple more seconds, "I should've just told him to shut up and not say a word." He trudged slowly back into the room with his head hung low.

The Vice Admiral was glaring at Alexander. Her hatred towards him bubbling up. "So, what is that you are going to say?"

"You are pretty," said Alexander.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO WHOO A SUPERIOR OFFICER!" shouted the Vice Admiral as she took long strides till she was right up close to Alexander, glaring down at him. She reached back behind her and pulled out a large pure iron mallet. "I THINK THAT YOU ARE JUST TRYING TO WHOO ME WHERE I WILL PROMOTE YOU IS THAT THE CASE?"

"You are right!" shouted Alexander giving her a thumbs-up.

Veri Fresh's head fell right into his hand. Rina's mouth was wide open in total surprise and shock along with a bit of fear for Alexander.

A large tick appeared on the Vice Admiral forehead. "I WOULD NEVER GO OUT WITH YOU IN A MILLION YEARS!" She brought the large mallet around and straight into Alexander's face sending him spiraling backwards and back into the hall. "GUARDS CLOSE THE DOOR AND DO NOT LET THAT PATHETIC, WOMAN-HATING, SELF-SERVING SWINE BACK IN HERE AT ALL!"

The guards quickly bowed their heads and pulled their doors closed. Alexander looked back at the door. "I should've known better then to take advice from that purple onion. Anyone with a hairdo like that can't be very smart."

(-in the room with Rina-)

Rina was shaking in her shoes. After seeing the Vice Admiral's strength and heartlessness when she simply tossed Alexander out of the room, wasn't a huge boost of confidence to her. As good as she was with people Alexander just did way too much damage. She'd consider herself lucky if they weren't hung for treason…or more accurately in this case, stupidity.

"Lieutenant Chiran," shouted the Vice Admiral in a near boasting tone. "I'm sure you have already heard my name as mere whispers throughout the Marine Base, but just in case you haven't, I am Vice Admiral Mary. However, I ask that you call me simply by Mary."

"O-o-o-okay," said Rina as she stumbled over her own words, "y-you can c-call me R-Rina." When she was done she quickly tacked on, "if that's okay with you!"

"It suits me just fine," said Mary as she retook her seat. "So, Rina…may I have your full report on the incidents that occurred during your last mission."

"Umm…" said Rina at a lost of what to say, "we, me and Alexander…I guess, me, Alexander, and Hayate…"

"Who?" asked Mary as she adjusted in her seat.

"My pet dog," added Rina as she fidgeted uncomfortably, "I guess Mark from Ghorl should be included as well. So, me, Alexander, Hayate, and Mark were t-traveling from here to Ghorl. It was smooth sailing there, but when we got there we encountered some problems…"

"Yes, yes, about this Taka organization," said Mary as she relaxed and leaned backwards, "we have had trouble with them before, but nothing on this scale."

"Yes," said Rina, "um…first was Emyre who was recently found dead, then Pura Pupuran who we captured and subdued, then there was…"

"Pura Pupuran denies any involvement with Taka," said Mary as she leaned backwards, "she said Boyd paid her large amounts of money for her to kill the illegitimate prince."

"What happened to him?" asked Rina, "Sam, the prince?"

Mary distracted her gaze for a second before staring Rina in the eyes, "he died. I will give you a week's leave if you want to attend his funeral."

Rina looked down, "thanks, but I have other things I need to attend to."

"Continue with the debriefing," said Mary.

"Then there was Tessa," said Rina, "he is believed to be the mastermind behind this attack and the only one who managed to escape alive."

"Of course," said Mary as she leaned backwards, "the important ones always escape. Anything you wish to add."

Rina looked down for a second and took a deep breath, "I wish to be transferred to the Marine Base in the New World!"

A look of pure shock crossed Mary's face as she leaned forward. Veri Fresh jumped up from the shocking news, with an astounded look on his face. "Are you insane?" asked Veri Fresh, "not only have you failed your first mission with your new captain, but you also do not meet the physical requirements for the transfer. Do you honestly expect us to transfer you?"

Rina distracted her gaze downwards unsure of how to reply. "I think I deserve a chance at the very least. Maybe just for a week as a test for me something."

"Lieutenant Chiran you must…" began Veri Fresh, but he was quickly cut off by Mary who raised her hand as a signal for silence.

"I'm the commanding officer in this base," said Mary, "I have the final say on all transfers to and from this base."

"Are you even considering sending her out there?" asked Veri Fresh, "she's a great navigator and she's been loyal to us ever since we found her on that abandoned ship, but the New World! Even I would have troubles in the New World and I'm several ranks above her."

Mary shook her hand, "I'm not saying we send her up there. The materials required for the transfer amount to a colossal sum not to mention acquiring a ship and a big enough crew to allow easy sailing through the Grand Line. There are too many problems involved for a simple transfer."

"I'm not worried about the supplies," said Veri Fresh, "I'm more worried about her. She lacks a lot of power that our normal New World recruits possess."

"Like I said I don't think we should send her up there, yet," said Mary as she began thumbing through a stack of papers on her desk. She began to slowly split the stack of papers into two smaller stacks. "But…as one of the two Marines who actually managed to hold off the mercenary group known as Taka, she may just deserve chance."

Rina smiled brightly. "Thank you."

"I say she heads the Taka organization investigation," said Mary.

"But the Execution Squad has already been sent off to investigate one of the leads," added Veri Fresh. "I'm not sure sending both teams off to head the same investigation would be so smart."

Mary sighed. "Listen, now. Rina and…and…and that boar outside have already encountered them once. Not to mention they actually won their first fights with them. I say it's a worthy shot."

Rina looked down. If Pura Pupuran left Kano to join up with Taka, maybe another one did. One of them might even possess one of the twelve gems of the zodiac. Maybe going after the rest of the organization would help her find them and in the end find Kano, "I'll do it," said Rina.

"That's great!" shouted Mary, "I knew you'd agree. I'll set you up with a crew and have you immediately ship out and investigate the lead."

Rina smiled briefly. Despite her earlier mission ending in a fail, the Vice Admiral really trusted her. On top of that, she was getting a whole new crew. She'd no longer be stuck with Alexander and only Alexander on a big ship for several days at a time. She'd be free.

"If that's the case, I suggest Alexander," said Veri Fresh with a smile as he reclined in his seat.

"Who?" asked Mary as she turned around to face him.

"That boar outside," said Veri Fresh.

"What? Why?" asked Mary, "I don't think he's the best choice for this mission."

"He's faced the enemy organization and won against their fighters," said Veri Fresh, "on top of that he's already well acquainted with Rina. I think it's a win-win situation."

Mary looked at Veri Fresh and then back at Rina, finally she rested her eyes on the door. "Fine. Bring him in, but note this…its only because you asked."

Rina let out the breath she's been holding. She didn't particularly want to be paired up with Alexander again and all of his…quirks. She'd deal with it, he wasn't a bad guy, but he certainly could drive her insane in a couple of days. Maybe she'd get someone who would delude him.

The two guards at the door were pulling the heavy iron doors apart to open the office up to the hallway. The fresh and white hallway was revealed to everyone in the room. The smell from the mess hall immediately washed into the room, along with the nearly silent breathing of a sleeping Alexander.

Mary quickly became agitated. She picked up her small iron mallet and wandered over to Alexander. Mary took up a careful swing, aiming it right at Alexander's head. Rina rushed out to join her, but she covered her eyes, wishing that she could avoid seeing this, but she couldn't help but take a peek.

Mary unwound and sent her hammer sailing a few feet forward directly smashing into Alexander's head sending him flying backwards. Alexander quickly scrambled back up, completely confused at what just happened. "I was just dreaming I was being chased around by this ugly female dinosaur claiming to be the new Vice Admiral."

"Alexander," said Rina quietly, "shut up. Forever."

"Why?" said Alexander holding head, "why should I shut up?…and why does my head hurt so badly?" Alexander looked around the room finally resting his eyes on the Vice Admiral. "Holy crap! It's the dinosaur from my dreams!"

"That's why," said Rina with quiet trepidation.

Mary's eyes flashed momentarily with rage. She let out a long breath, calming herself down as she approached Alexander. An idea suddenly flashed through her mind. "Listen Alexander, there is this really small job that's coming up. Its nothing befitting of a captain of your level…"

"Of my level?" thought Alexander out loud, "is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Mary smiled and continued on, "like I was saying nothing worthy of a captain of your level, but I'm inclined to ask you…do you want to go around and chase after some silly organization or do you want a job befitting of you?"

"What's something befitting of me?" asked Alexander.

"Something big!" said Mary, "something as big as this Marine Base." "_Maybe something like cleaning it," _thought Mary.

"Well, I guess if you think I should…"

"Yes, definitely," said Mary hastily trying to con Alexander into the deal.

"I'll take the small job of chasing down some weird organization," said Alexander giving her a thumbs-up.

"Great, I'll…you want to hunt down some weird organization instead of doing some big job befitting your…abilities?"

"Yeah," said Alexander, "its apparent that you think its best that I'm on this job and you are always right. So who are gonna be my crewmates?"

"The devil and the lizard beast," said Veri Fresh with a smile on his face.

"Anybody else?" asked Alexander, hoping for someone to delude some of Rina and Hayate.

"Here is a stack of eligible Marines," said Mary as she dropped off a large stack of papers into his hands. "Any one of these can join you if they desire and their current commanding officer is fine with it. Now get out of my Marine Base."

"Oh, what about my debriefing?" asked Alexander.

"Get out," said Mary in a low tone.

"What about supplies?"

"Get out."

"What about…"

"LISTEN TO THE WOMAN!" shouted Veri Fresh as he pushed Alexander closer to the door.

"Oh, wait!" shouted Alexander as he spun around and went past Veri Fresh and Rina and back to Mary. "I just want to apologize for what I said in your office. Truth is Veri Fresh told me to say those things."

"You mean my father told you to hit on me?" asked Mary putting her hands on her hips, annoyed.

"Ye…your father," said Alexander as he looked back at Veri Fresh then back to her. "She's your daughter?" Veri Fresh nodded. "And he's your dad?" Mary nodded. "How is that possible? I mean, Veri Fresh is so nice and you are so…I'm going to get out." Alexander quickly turned around and hurriedly walked out of there.

Rina followed behind him her head bowed, too embarrassed to say anything. She was quickly outside of the door following quietly behind Alexander. Hayate at her heels.

"I just need to be quiet, don't I?" asked Alexander.

* * *

><p>Bad news first. I just started collegework so expect slower updates from me. I will still try to get one up...once every two weeks. But who knows...it might only be once a month. I PROMISE IT WILL NOT GO LONGER THEN THAT!

Alexander you should just be quiet, especially around women, but hey! That's why the reviewers love ya is because you can't just shut up and say nothing you always got to say the wrong thing! Especially to females...but who knows maybe that'll help you out one of these days. I am planning on giving them a crew member this arc so keep your eyes peeled.


	15. Chapter 15 Rina Goes to Market

**Rina Goes to the Market**

**Alexander's New 'Friends'**

"So, what's our mission, again?" asked Alexander as he was walking about on the soft sand of a beach. The beach was on a small island. The island was a mining community, they had thousands of precious stones hidden up within the mountain. Even at the beach vendors were swarming. They each had their own precious gem that they were selling, rubies, sapphires, emeralds. They were all hoping to sell the gems to the poor and innocent tourists that stopped here.

Alexander strolled on through the vendor's stations ignoring the annoying vendors. He wasn't even paying attention to the large amounts of gems around him. His eyes were focused straight ahead of him. He was hoping that one of these idiots would try to steal something in front of him. Anything to make the day more exciting.

Rina, on the other hand, was studying each gem intently. Her careful eye examined each jewel with purpose. She even came to a complete halt at some stands only to sigh and then leave with a depressed look on her face.

"Did you hear my question?" asked Alexander.

"I heard that question," said Rina with a smile. Alexander looked over at her with a quizzical look like he didn't get the joke. "Yes, I heard your other question, too. According to the Marine records one of the Marines supposedly stationed at this base is known to have been a part of the Taka organization. We're supposed to meet at the River Valley Diner. Hopefully, we'll get a little bit of information about it."

"Huh," said Alexander, only paying attention to the assassin part, "I'm going to meet an assassin."

"You already did meet an assassin," said Rina, "remember Emyre, Pura Pupuran, or that other one, Tessa was his name?"

"I didn't like any of them, though," said Alexander as he continued down the path, "I haven't been meeting many people I like recently."

"Didn't you just meet me?" asked Rina, "what about Hayate?"

"You hogged the bathroom all morning and I'm pretty sure he ate my breakfast," said Alexander. He waited a few seconds for Rina's reply, which was probably going to be a slap to the face rather then a sentence, but it never came. He looked back over his shoulder to see her examining more jewels. "Forget about it, Rina. There's no way you are going to be able to buy these things on a Marine's salary."

"It may be a week's pay," said Rina with a smile as she examined some of the jewels before sighing and giving up, "but its worth it if you find a good one."

"A week's pay?" asked Alexander as he examined the price, "I'm sorry to point this out to you, but there's five zeroes after that one. That's a month's pay."

"I know there's five zeroes," said Rina as she picked up a ruby and rolled it between her fingers, "that's also a week's pay."

"A week's pay?" asked Alexander. Rina nodded in reply. "You're not kidding? I think I need a raise…"

"What?" asked Rina being snapped out of her shopping trance, "how much do you get paid?"

"That's not the point," said Alexander looking away. "What did you do to get paid that much? Did you take down a Shichibukai or something?"

"No," said Rina, "are you making 10000 belies?"

"No," said Alexander, "is it because you are female? I mean, I could probably make that much money if I had your breasts."

"No!" shouted Rina looking away briefly before returning to her investigation, "are you making 5000 belies?"

"No," said Alexander. "I'm making more then that. Did you sleep with the Vice Admiral? You did, didn't you? You slept with Mary, that's why she was nicer to you then to me!"

"Don't make me have Hayate attack you again!" shouted Rina. Hayate's ears flattened and he barred his teeth at Alexander. "Besides everybody is nicer to me then they are to you…AND before you say what you are thinking, it is not because I slept with everyone."

"Oh," said Alexander, dejectedly. "You know what? Before I say something that's going to have me killed or before I die due to boredom, I'm going to leave. I can't believe girls are so stupid as to waste their money on these things."

Alexander took a quick glimpse around him. The entire marketplace was filled with girls and women all sharing the same evil and angry look on their faces. Alexander smiled sheepishly before saying, "It looks like I didn't leave fast enough." Alexander looked to both of his sides, he quickly looked down the horizon and pointed down there with his finger, "LOOK! A two headed monkey!" Alexander quickly spun around and dashed away.

Rina's head fell into her hands, "I don't know him…I don't know him…I don't know him."

(-With Alexander-)

Once Alexander was out of sight of the market he slowed down to a neat and smooth walking pace. Alexander looked down. No dog…Alexander smiled. Once again he was all by himself, no Rina hounding him, no Hayate making his day worse, and no assassins trying to kill him. Its funny, but he never actually had a vacation for as long as he could remember.

Three years ago he was sent to some top secret training facility to get stronger and have a slight education, despite the fact that at the training facility they didn't seem to hammer any common sense or people skills into his skull. As a matter of fact, almost the opposite. It was temple for Marine males, they were kept separate from the females in order to assure maximum dedication. So, no female interaction and even conversations between the boys was limited. Then the chancellor of the place was…he shivered just thinking about him. He was an insane psychopath. He one time threw bee hives at him to help him build up his endurance!

After two years of enduring that hell, Alexander was finally set free. He joined up with the Marines and was sent out to do lackey jobs like cleaning ships and bases. After a month or two of that Veri Fresh came over and promoted him to Captain out of the blue and sent him to sea. And now, he's sailing about with Rina and Hayate. Maybe today would be a good day for a vacation?

After all, Rina would be busy down at the market probably all day and their mission was to meet and talk with an ex-assassin. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to some assassin, say the wrong thing, and get killed. The best and safest road for him to do was to relax. They were on a pretty nice island after all. Well, if you steered away from the center where the mountains were and all the mining equipment was stashed. Yup, today was a vacation day.

Now, what to do? Alexander sighed. It was his first day off in two years and he had absolutely nothing to do. It was still mid-morning and they had just docked, so he didn't know of anything on the island to do…he'd just go get him and Rina some lodgings for now.

He looked around and immediately spied a small inn. It was a nice enough place. A quaint feel, kind of reminded him of their ship with the wooden walls. But being away from the water for the night would be nice enough. He walked up to the counter, "uh…rooms for two people, please."

"Sure," said the innkeeper. She rolled her eyes as she picked up a sheet of paper, "would you like the deluxe package?"

Alexander had absolutely no idea what Rina would like, so he'd probably be safer off saying no to everything. "No."

"Any preference to what floor you are on?"

Just keeping saying no to everything. "No."

"Do you want separate rooms?"

Say no to everything. "No."

"Okay," said the innkeeper as she picked up two keys and handed them to him. "That'll be 100 belie."

"Okay," said Alexander. "_That's pretty cheap for two people." _Alexander quickly put a bill out onto the table and took the keys. Alexander was about to walk out when he thought about Rina, "I might want to get something special. I mean, if I'm going to be stuck with her I might as well make her happy…" Alexander turned around, "can you have some saké sent to the rooms?"

The innkeeper smiled, "is this a lady friend you have staying with you?"

"Yup," said Alexander, "we've been together for a couple of weeks now. So, I figured I'd better do something nice for her. You know what I mean?"

"Of course, I do," said the innkeeper with a smile. "That's awfully sweet of you. Tell you what its on the house."

"Cool!" shouted Alexander as he walked out of the inn. Free saké tastes way better then paid for saké. Alexander was immediately immersed in the open space of the plaza once again. His stomach grumbled briefly. He looked around the plaza for quick bite and immediately noticed a place called the River Valley Diner…he wondered why it stuck out to him so much, but paid it little mind as he walked in.

The place was bustling. The tables were all pretty packed, but there was one girl and one boy in the very back of the restaurant by themselves leaving two open spaces next to them. The waiting staff guided Alexander back there. Alexander sat down. The girl on the other side of him, glanced up. Her silver-gray eyes told Alexander that she was annoyed. She had on a short red skirt and a white tight-fitting blouse. Her red jacket was neatly folded on the seat next to her. The man with her was tall and well-muscled. He had pure black hair that had spikes pointing downward towards his brown eyes. He wore a standardized Marine hat and jacket, but the sleeves were cut off. He had a black belt on that held a crossbow and pistol. On his head was a pair of goggles.

"Do you mind," said the woman glaring at Alexander, "I was saving that seat."

"I'm sorry," said Alexander chuckling nervously. "But I just wanted to grab a bite to eat."

The man smiled at Alexander, "ignore her. They aren't supposed to get here until later, but she's decided to stay here all day. And sadly, I'm basically her bodyguard, so I'm stuck here all day. Name's Specter Carambole." He offered Alexander a hand.

"Alexander," said Alexander as he took his hand and shook it. He looked over at the woman, she remained motionlessly glaring at him. "Heh, and yours?"

"None of your business," said the woman as she reclined in her seat.

"She's not normally like this," said Specter, "She's just on edge. Big meeting with a guy of a pretty high rank. She's Akane Aranami."

Alexander looked away briefly. Then all of a sudden, he smiled. Veri Fresh's advice might not have worked on Mary, but Alexander still wasn't sure if she was human, much less female. "You are very pretty," said Alexander to Akane. Akane taken back by the words jumped slightly. Specter merely chuckled at the saying.

"Wha-wha-what?" stumbled Akana, flustered at the random compliment.

"I said that you are very pretty," said Alexander repeating himself.

"That's not going to make you welcomed here," said Akane crossing her arms and looking away, "I'm waiting for the captain."

"You are right," said Alexander as he sat down still following Veri Fresh's advice to the letter as it was having some kind of effect on Akane, "you are absolutely right. Just calling you pretty doesn't mean you have to like me."

Akane swiveled her head to the side, her face quickly growing red. "Okay, then…thank you."

Specter remained in his seat chuckling at the conversation between the two. "I'm starting to feel like a third wheel. I need to get me a woman over here, turn this puppy into a group gathering rather then just you two going at it. Unless you want it to be a three-way, I'm cool with that, too."

Akane glared ferociously over at Specter. Her glare alone told him to shut up, the fact that she shifted just a bit where her weapon, a large and deadly scythe came into full view, only reinforced the point she was trying to make.

Alexander smiled and said, having no idea about what a three-way is, "Maybe Rina would like to join us for that." Alexander stopped talking for a brief second as he could've sworn he heard a loud noise coming from outside.

"HAH!" shouted Specter with a loud laugh, that shocked Alexander out of his concentration, "That would just make my day! Seriously, I mean come on, two chicks for the price of none. What do you say about that now, Akane?"

Akane reached back and put her hand firmly around the scythe, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline that offer. I'm going to sharpen my scythe later on, you can join me for that if you'd like. I'll need someone to test it out on when I'm done."

Specter put both of his hands up, defensively. "Nah, that sounds more like a one woman job to me. Maybe Alexander would like to join you?"

Alexander was just about to speak up and talk, when a loud cry came from the plaza. "AVALANCHE!"

* * *

><p>Alexander finally has a good(?) impression on a woman! Well, two of them if you count the innkeeper. But trouble just doesn't seem to be able to leave our hero alone…poor Alexander. And yes, for those of you who are wondering, Rina does have a bigger paycheck then Alexander. Why? Well, that's simple…Alexander causes more trouble then Rina.<p>

Also! For those of you guys on the OC hunt during this chapter! There's two of them! Both Specter Carambole and Akane Arami are submitted OCs. They were sent in by Rc1121 and Cloudydays12, respectively. Let's see how well they mix in with Alexander and Rina. My guess is the sweet taste of comedy and a little of bit of action, possibly a little sweet taste of love as well, no?

Also, for those of you who love creating OCs and want to make more. I have a little contest for you, but I'm not going to mention it this chapter. Keep your eyes open for it, though!


	16. Chapter 16 AVALANCHE

**AVALANCHE!**

**And After, A Good Night's Sleep!**

Alexander, Specter, and Akane were outside in minutes. They each looked up at the moment, huge rocks were tumbling down the mountainside aiming at town. Alexander sighed. So much for his vacation day. No pirates ruining his day this time, just stupid Mother Nature and her favorite pastime, natural disasters.

Akane was the first out of the group to react. She charged forward, haphazardly, her scythe at her side. She drew back and launched a quick, but devastating slice to one of the quickest and largest rocks that was tumbling forward and aiming at a shop. Her scythe swung straight through the rock, splitting it in two equal pieces. She quickly swiped her scythe again, splitting the rock into smaller and less dangerous pieces.

Specter laughed as he drew his crossbow, "I was hopin' somethin' excitin' would happen today! What about you, Alex?" shouted Specter as he took off forward with his bow. He took a quick shot at the rock. Instead of an arrow flying from the gun, a small spherical bright green grenade was launched. The grenade slammed into one of the frontal rocks, shattering it and sending it into a million of pieces.

"Name's Alexander," corrected Alexander, "not Alex. I don't call you Spec." He looked ahead of him, so far any boulder that came tumbling forward was either blown to pieces by Specter, slashed to pieces by Akane, or one of the other numerous Marines rushed in and took care of it. No need for him to interrupt his vacation day, yet.

Alexander turned around. He was about to leave and finish his meal that he left back in the diner. Alexander turned around. A single lone boulder was rolling down the mountain towards the diner. Specter, Akane, and the other Marines were all too busy with their own separate boulders that they couldn't possible spin around and destroy this boulder in time. Alexander sprinted forward towards the diner. "**Damascus Kick!" **Alexander lifted his entire leg up and back down at rapid speed. His leg collided and slid straight through the boulder, destroying it with very little effort.

The crowd gathered around the avalanche zone to watch the Marines worked soon had all of their eyes focused on Alexander. Not only did he just slice a rock in two with a single kick, but he looked bored while doing it. He seemed like this wasn't exciting enough for him. "Did you see that?" "With his bare leg! He split that boulder in two!" "That's some impressive strength!"

Alexander shook his head. Impressive strength was throwing a whale back into the ocean, splitting a boulder with a kick was common in the institution. His thoughts trailed back to the platter of food in the diner. He didn't order food, yet. Going back there probably wasn't going to give him food. He looked back down at the boulders most of them still tumbling down. "Might as well work up an appetite." Alexander braced himself against the ground. "**Ferric Fist!" **Alexander drove his fist forward towards the nearest boulder. His fist smashed the boulder into multiple pieces. Alexander twisted his arm around as he looked up and around the wreckage.

"Just tryin' to steal all the glory from the rest of us, huh, Alex?" said Specter as he patted Alexander on his back. "Nice job. Are you like new on the force?"

"Been on the job for about a couple of months now actually," said Alexander, "and…um, the name is Alexander."

"Sure, but it's a nickname," said Specter. "Its nothing to worry about. Alexander is just a long name. You need to have something short for me to call ya."

"But my name is Alexander," said Alexander, repeating himself.

Akane walked up to the duo, "impressive. I think I'm starting to like you, despite your bad first impression. So, you just became a Marine a little while ago."

"No," said Alexander, "about three months…pretty long time if you ask me.

Akane smiled a bit at Alexander's idea of a long time. "A guy as strong as you is probably flying through the ranks. What are you now, a Chief Petty Officer, an ensign, maybe even a Lieutenant?" She was still holding her large scythe in her hand.

Alexander was about to open his mouth and answer the question, but a small chakram quickly flew through the air and into a boulder. The force of the chakram sliced deep into it and forcing it backwards, stopping it cold. Rina walked up to them, "pay attention to the boulders and stop making women mad at you."

"Actually," said Akane, "I wasn't mad at him at all. I was just wanting to know a little more about someone like him. Oh, I'm sorry, are you his girlfriend?"

"Why does everybody think that?" complained Alexander, "I don't want to date her. She's…I'm going to shut up, before I say something that will get Rina mad at me like 'she's not very bright' or 'she's really a devil with a devil dog'."

Rina spoke up and stopped Alexander quickly, "Alexander, just s-shut up now and I promise you I won't hit you." Alexander nodded and closed his mouth.

"Don't let a woman control you," shouted Specter, stifling a laugh from the earlier problem. "You got to take control of any situation and keep control of it. Be a man and control that woman!"

"Specter," said Akane, "if you keep talking, I'll show you that I am in control of our relationship and I'll be more then happy to take control and separate your mouth from the rest of that miserable body of yours."

"Quickly," said Alexander, "tell her that she's pretty and that she's right."

"What?" asked Akane looking at him, quizzically.

"…because its true," said Alexander, "tell her that she's incredibly beautiful and that she's right. You shouldn't try to control the relationship, she's the one in charge."

"Oh, that's so sweet," said Akane.

"I went from being wit' one girl to three," said Specter as he brought his crossbow back around and in its holster. "Anyways, we better get back to waitin' fer the captain. Who knows when a big wig like that'll show up. I wouldn't be surprised to see him tomorrow."

"Uhm," said Rina quickly interjecting, "a-are you A-Akane Arami and Mr. Kamikaze?"

"Yes," said Akane looking at her, "how did you know our names?"

"The name isn't Mr. Kamikaze!" shouted Specter, "Its Specter Carambole! The stupid Mr. Kamikaze joke was just a big freakin' misunderstanding. Ignore it."

"Um, Alexander," said Rina, "I t-think that these people are the ones t-that we were supposed to m-meet up with."

"What?" said Akane, "that's not right we are supposed to be meeting up with a captain and a lieutenant. I mean, Alexander isn't a captain or a lieutenant. I mean he's only been in the Marines for a couple of months."

"Actually, I am a captain," said Alexander, "she's the lieutenant." Alexander pointed over at Rina.

"Why didn't you mention that in the first place!" shouted Akane, "I'm pretty sure you should've told us that! Or were you just trying to get some kicks from people of a lower rank from you? Trying to see what it was like in our life, huh? I mean, you were probably never on our rank."

"Um…you are very pretty," said Alexander trying to cover up the problem he had just caused.

"That's not going to save you!" screamed Akane.

"Hey!" shouted Specter jumping into the middle of the argument, "what do you say we just take the rest of the day off and get back to this little argument later. Do you guys have any accommodations for the night?"

"Yeah," said Alexander, "I got me and Rina some accommodations at the inn down that road." He pointed down one of the nearby roads.

"Really w-what did you get?" asked Rina.

"I can tell you what I didn't get," said Alexander, "I didn't get 'the deluxe package, no preference in floor, or separate rooms.'"

"Wait," said Rina, "you didn't g-get separate rooms?"

"…no…" said Alexander.

"I'm not going to room with you!" said Rina, "men and women should room together unless they are married! Its just common courtesy!"

"Tell you what how about me and Rina take the room at the hotel and you and Specter can go and stay up at the Marine Base," said Akane, "after all someone like you is definitely not fit to stay at a place as cozy as an inn. I hope our lower ranks' meager rooms suit you just fine!"

"Uh…you are pretty," said Alexander in a questioning tone.

"Forget it, come on, Rina, let's go enjoy our rooms that OUR CAPTAIN so generously paid for," said Akane as she grabbed Rina's hands and began to drag her away.

"Hear that, Alex," said Specter with joyous whoop, "we get the rest of the day off!"

"I don't like vacations," said Alexander depressed.

(-later that night with Rina and Akane-)

"I can't believe he wouldn't even mention his rank," said Akane, "what kind of man would do that? He should've mentioned it! Then he just came in and saved the day from the avalanche. He's a glory hog!" She was starting to get undressed to sleep.

"I don't think Alexander is a glory hog," said Rina, "of course, he always grabs attention from people, but that's because he's…a little weird, but he doesn't do it on purpose." Rina was still mostly in her sailor uniform, but the bow was off and she looked kind of disheveled from being dragged down the street.

"I think he does!" shouted Akane, "I think he keeps doing this stuff on purpose because he loves being the center of attention! I mean he was hitting on me and I actually thought he meant it."

"He was hitting on you?" laughed Rina, "that was probably a shipwreck. I mean, he has the social skills of a sociopath mixed with a Pitbull." Hayate's ears pricked up as he turned his attention over to Rina. "Pitbulls are mean, aren't they?" Hayate barked his response.

"He was hitting on me," defended Akane, "he may not seem as good as most people, but trust me he was hitting on me!"

"Really? Let me guess what he said," said Rina as there was a sudden knock on the door. She got up and walked over to the door, " 'you are so pretty. I can't wait to spend the rest of the night with you in my big room'." Rina pulled the door open and saw a skinny man in a waiter costume. He was holding a bottle of sake. He took a quick look in the room and turned beet red.

"Um…excuse me, who were you talking to?" said the waiter.

"Um, her?" asked Rina pointing back to Akane who was currently sitting on the bed.

"I hope I'm not interruping…anything…ladies…I just…came to…um…give you this bottle of saké to start the evening off," said the waiter as he shoved the bottle into Rina's hands. "If it helps…I think you are right she is very pretty." The waiter twisted around and began to quickly walk down the hallway.

Rina stood in the doorway her mouth open for a couple of seconds. She backed back into the room. "I think he only heard me say 'you are so pretty. I can't wait to spend the rest of the night with you in my big room'…" She looked down at the bottle of saké in her hands. "Still not a reason to let good saké go to waste." She undid the top quickly and walked over to her bed.

"What's going on?" asked Akane, who wasn't paying attention to Rina's conversation with the waiter.

Rina poured a glass of saké and handed it over to her. "Just have a drink and forget he ever came and said anything." Rina quickly drank a glass herself, "I know I want to."

"I'll drink to forget about the day," said Akane as she sipped the glass Rina offered. "It was such a let down. I can't wait till the next time I see Alexander! I'm really going to give him a piece of my mind."

"God knows he needs it," said Rina as she laughed at all the stupid things Alexander has done. The first girl in the world that actually liked him ended up hating him within a couple of minutes. He just couldn't win at all.

Akane shifted as she stood up and walked over to her scythe and took out a whetstone. She quickly began sharpening her scythe with her whetstone, "what a complete idiot. I'd honestly love to see him help me sharpen my scythe. I mean his brain is probably the dullest thing on the planet, maybe I should sharpen it for him!"

* * *

><p>Interesting idea Akane...very interesting idea indeed. Well, for those of you who are wondering when the actually storyline of this arc is to begin get ready. Next chapter actually has a part that fully contributes to the storyline!<p>

Also for those of you thinking about entering the contest. On my profile at the bottom it has a small description of the contest. BUT! Be warned as it may contain spoilers.


	17. Chapter 17 Alexander's Night on the Town

**Alexander's Night on the Town!**

"Erh," said Alexander as he shivered, "did you just feel a cold wind pass through here?"

Specter looked up from crossbow. "Nope. As a matter of fact if you ask me its kind of warm in here. Mind opening a window, Alex?"

Alexander looked around the room. It was small. Two beds, well, more like cots. They were so small, Alexander doubted his entire body could fit on it and if it could, it would be a tight fit. There was a single lamp in between the two cots with a seashell-like theme to it. Other then the door at the side of the room, there was nothing else to the room. The Marines had a communal bath house, so there wasn't even a doorway to the shower. But there wasn't a window.

"Sorry, Specter," said Alexander as he looked around the room, "No windows."

Specter lifted his head up from his work. He smiled and quickly loaded one of his small round grenades into the crossbow. He aimed the crossbow over at the wall and pulled the trigger. The small grenade fired from its spot and was pressed against the wall. The sphere exploded taking a large portion with it in a large bang.

"Now there is," said Specter as he looked back down at his crossbow and began working again.

"There would be," said Alexander, "if you were aiming at the right wall. That wall was separating us from our neighbors." Alexander sighed.

"Are our neighbors good-looking?" asked Specter.

Alexander peeked into the newly designed hole. There were two guys sitting together playing cards. One of them had an eye-patch and was smoking a cigarette, the other one had his hand firmly on a gun at his side. "Hmm…depends are you bisexual?"

"Nope," said Specter lifting his head up from his project for a brief second before lowering it back down to his work.

"Sorry guys," said Alexander, "I'd invite you over to our room, but I'm afraid Specter wouldn't allow it."

The guy with the eye-patch smiled, "Aye, Mr. Kamikaze! He is one crazy son of a gun, ain't he?"

The man with the gun smiled and returned his gun to its holster, "insane. I still can't believe Mr. Kamikaze smashed that grenade in-between his own hands just to blow up those 'Suns' of Blackbeard."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING MR. KAMIKAZE!" shouted Specter as he appeared in the hole, his crossbow in one hand and a standard Marine pistol in the other. He lowered both down and quickly emptied a magazine of each into the room creating loud explosions and screams of pain, "AND I'M NOT CRAZY, EITHER!" Specter sighed and quickly jumped back into his bed and began to work on his crossbow.

"Why do they call you Mr. Kamikaze?" asked Alexander sitting down on his own bed.

"Long story," said Specter as he began to tap on the deck, a bad habit that he did whenever he became annoyed.

"I got time," said Alexander, "probably won't be leaving for another week or so and I don't think Rina is going to allow me to sleep with her and I know Akane won't."

A flash of sheer brilliance crossed Specter's face. He was going to have some fun with this new guy, "do you know why they won't let you sleep with them?" Alexander shook his head, "listen to your good ol' buddy, Specter. You see, long ago men did all the work and women simply sat down and cooked. Whenever men returned from working the women would kiss them."

"I think I heard that somewhere before," said Alexander, thinking. "Yeah, when a man came back from work his wife kissed him."

"Exactly," said Specter, "you see, but times have changed and women began working. They expect the same exact compensation from men as they gave men. Makes sense?"

"I guess so," said Alexander, "so whenever Rina and Akane do a good job, I'm supposed to give them a kiss?"

"Yup," said Specter, "see? That's why they won't let you sleep with them."

"Huh?" said Alexander, "I thought that only applied to husband and wives."

"No, you see, a wife is a good friend that is a female," said Specter, further making up lies to give him enjoyment, "Rina and Akane are your friends, right?'

"Yeah," said Alexander.

"So they are your wives!" said Specter, the imagery of their next meeting dancing through his head. He was tempted to laugh right then and there.

"Huh," said Alexander. "What's the story with the avalanche? Get them often?"

Specter lifted his head up from his work and thought for a second. "No, we usually don't. Guess this one was a freak accident."

Alexander distracted his gaze towards where the mountain should be. "How do you guys excavate all of those gems down at the beach?"

"Pick-axes, shovels, TNT, chisels, some people run up there and use their hands," said Specter as he returned his attention to his work. "Why you want to get some jewels for your wives?" Specter continued to chuckle at his own private jokes.

"Maybe," said Alexander, "I think I'm going to go for a walk." Alexander headed for the door. "Wanna come?"

"Nope," said Specter, "I got some work to do. My dream ain't going to complete itself, you know?"

"Sure isn't," said Alexander as he stopped outside, not even thinking to ask Specter about his dream. Alexander began to head towards the mountain. There was something about that day that he couldn't shake from his head. He could've sworn he heard something before the avalanche started. An explosion or something. The fact that avalanche's rarely occur only helped enforce this idea. This wasn't a freak accident…he was pretty sure that was planned out.

The mountain was larger then it appeared from the sea. Onboard his ship the mountain looked maybe as tall as a house or two, but now that he was standing in front of it, it looked more like ten or twenty tall. He sighed and began trudge up it. Despite the large and natural rocks laying on the sides and the broken trenches, the path was still in good shape. The path was flat and pretty straight forward to the top. No splits or detours on the way. It was creepily quiet and eerie though. The only real sound he could hear was the sound of a few bats and crickets. Not to mention the fact that the mountain smelled of dirt and dynamite.

Alexander continued on his long hike to the top. The place never getting any more inviting. The place remained dark, smelly, and creepy. The closed off caves to his left and right made him worry that some kind of beast lurked in the mountains. Either a dragon or a yeti, even though he was pretty sure yeti's only lived in cold places. He wasn't going to rule them out. A sudden burst of voices came forward from around the corner.

Alexander leapt forward and over to one of the mine carts. He quickly dug his heels into the ground and crouched to the ground to hide. He leaned up against it and strained his neck around the corner. A group of three people came marching down the mountain. A small flag flowed behind them. It was a flag of three very realistic skulls all lined up neat next to each other. The Jolly Roger looked familiar to him, but he couldn't place where he saw it before.

The three men quickly stopped in their tracks. They lifted their homemade torch into the air. The simplistic fire on a stick lit up the area for quite a distance. "I don't see nobody," he said as he scanned the area. "I just see mine carts and them rocks over there."

The other two men scanned the area individually despite the warnings of the bigger man. The one in front quickly lifted a gun out his slot and lifted it into the air. He fired a single loud round into the air. Alexander fought every instinct he had that told him to jump.

"What are you doing?" shouted the third man, "somebody is going to here us and without the boss here, we are bound to get in trouble."

"I can handle myself," said the man as he wiped his pistol clean, "and so can the big guy here. You are the only one I'm worried about…you are a bit weak."

"I'd rather be weak then slow," said the third man immediately jumping to his defense.

"I'm fast and strong," said the first man with the torch as he flexed his muscles, "no worries here."

"Yup," said the gunslinger as he holstered his gun, "You are not slow at all. People are going to have a hard time trying to pull something over your eyes."

"That's right," said the big guy, "no one is going to pull anything over my eyes! And even if they do, I'll just pull it off!"

"Yeeeaaaah," said the third man as he drooped his shoulders, "you do that. We better get going the boss is probably on his way here as we speak we got to start putting on the finishing touches on our base or else he is going to freak."

"That's the last thing we want," said the gunslinger as he picked up the pace down the mountain. "My wounds haven't healed from the last time he went crazy on us. We're lucky I still have my head."

The third man nodded his head in agreement. "The boss sure has a short fuse." The three man continued down the hill, their small torch lighting the way. As soon the as the light disappeared Alexander stood up.

Despite waving the Jolly Roger around, they didn't confess to anything that was actually illegal or even hint about it. But a group of three man plus an additional one who hasn't shown up, yet, in the middle of the mountain at night usually didn't mean that they were getting ready to host a picnic. Generally it meant setting a bomb to go off in the plaza of the island. Alexander took off after them, being careful enough to not make any noise or otherwise alert them to his presence.

The trio quickly jumped over a boulder blocking the path. They disappeared from sight, their fire quickly disappearing due to the large bulk of the boulder. Alexander crept up to the boulder and tried to peer over it, its large size making it nearly impossible. Finally, Alexander managed to crane his neck over the rock. The group of men on the other side were pulling smaller boulders aside.

"That damn avalanche," said the gunslinger as he barely managed to pull one of the boulders out of the way and to the side, "I know the boss said the panic it caused will work in our favor when we invade the town, not to mention the destruction it caused, but I feel like an idiot for starting it."

"Great," said the smaller man as he pulled the boulder away, "I'll be sure to tell the boss you think he is an idiot."

Alexander smirked as the men continued to bicker. He now knew that they were really behind the avalanche. Taking them out won't be too hard, they don't seem to be all too powerful…or intelligent. It would probably be over before they even realized that they were being attacked.

Alexander was about to leap into action when a powerful arm swept around his neck and tightened around it. Alexander gasped for breath as his sudden supply of oxygen was cut off. His hand scrambled up there trying to remove the thick arm from his trachea. His hand brushed up against it before he passed out…did he feel fur?

(-A couple of hours later-)

Alexander came to breathing heavily as he jumped up to his feet. He scoured the place in a panicky fashion. There were iron bars all around separating him from the outside. Alexander looked around him. His 'cage' was composed of two walls of the iron bars, the other two sides were made of a cave wall. The rest of the room wasn't anything too impressive. Just a small table on the other side of the room and a doorway carved out of the cave's wall.

"Shit," said Alexander as he stood up, the past day's events coming to fact. He remembered having his neck being squeezed, but how he got here was unknown to him. He surged forward sending his entire body shuddering into the bar trying to bend it back and break it, nothing happened the bar remained intact.

"Oh, so you are awake."

* * *

><p>Wow...I mean wow. Am I late or what? I apologize a thousand times. Its the midterm at college, so I had a paper due, a power point, an exam to study for, and to top it all off I was the best man in wedding! No joke I really was! Oh, well, crap happens. (Not that the wedding was crap!) Anyways...I hope you all enjoyed this installation of THE IRON HAMMER OF JUSTICE! That ends with Alexander being locked up by the bad guys...do I sense a plot?<p> 


	18. Chapter 18 The Bad Guy

**Now What Would a Pirate Do?**

"Hello," boasted the man as he waltzed into the room. He was big. He stood up at 7 feet, a malicious smile painted all over his face. He had on a black robe that went over his white shirt and black pants. He had the bare makings of a beard on his chin. He wore the traditional captain's hat with a plain skull and crossbones covering it, "Its nice to meet you…Alexander of the Marines."

"You, too, Mystery Person of the Bad Guys," said Alexander from his safely secluded corner of the room behind the prison bars. Its funny, he'd been locking people up behind these bars for only a couple months and now he found himself in the exact opposite position. Well, maybe not funny, more like…ironic.

"Don't mock me!" shouted the man as he grabbed the nearest cup and tossed it into the room at Alexander. The small ceramic cup smacked loudly against the side of Alexander's face. "I am superior to you! You are in the cage and I'm outside of the cage! If anyone is to do any mocking it is me!" The man stopped yelling and took a deep breath to calm himself down, "now I suppose you are wondering why you are in the cage in the first place."

"I'm guessing its because I got too close to yours and your three idiot friends' plan and now you plan to eliminate me," said Alexander. "What I'm actually wondering is why did you set off the avalanche in the first place."

"That's simple," said the man as he strutted about the small room his black robe swishing about him, "You see this mountain is filled with riches. Enough precious gems exist in this mountain that me and my three idiot brothers can live a normal life over and over and over again, but idiots like the other people down there keep taking them from us."

"You mean idiots like the other people down there keep doing their jobs," mocked Alexander. Another cup was thrown into his face again. Hey, two free cups!

"DO NOT INTERRUPT ME!" shouted the man, "but anyways they keep taking away our profits. But you see if an avalanche occurs people must wait at least two days before coming back up here to mine again. So in those two days time me and my brothers can excavate a lot of gems and sell them. We've been doing this for awhile now, this mountain actually has very few natural avalanches. As a matter of fact by doing this we've already made enough to buy a Devil Fruit and a boat."

"Why did you buy a Devil Fruit and boat if you just want to live a normal life," asked Alexander.

"Because of what my mother told me," said the man, "I was sitting at home one day reading the newspaper. I have never known my father and naturally this interests a young, virile, stud-like boy like myself. So I asked her who my father was. She picked up the newspaper looked at the front page and put it down and said very casually as to not arouse suspicion 'I don't know'. But I knew what she meant! She meant that the guy on the front page was my father! That guy was no other then the infamous Blackbeard! My father is Blackbeard!"

"I think your mother meant she didn't know who your father was," said Alexander, "that's generally what 'I don't know means'."

"Are you kidding me!" shouted the man, "she said she didn't know because if the Marines ever found out I was related to Blackbeard I would be killed because of how marvelous a pirate he was! Ever since that day I decided to follow in my father's footsteps and become a great pirate like he was!"

"My father is Monkey D. Luffy," teased Alexander, "and my mother is Sengoku's daughter. It was a forbidden romance…it was never going to work."

"SHUT UP AND DON'T MOCK ME!" screamed the man as he threw, yet a third cup at Alexander. "I know my father is Blackbeard! And I know you are just trying to mock me, yet again! Everyone else did I said my father was Blackbeard…everyone except my fellow brothers."

"Wait," said Alexander, "so your mom had four boys all with…Blackbeard." Alexander was amazed that anyone could do something so irresponsible to have four boys and not know the father.

"Yes," said the man proudly as he paced about, "Anyways, from that moment I even changed my name! I AM EDWARD D. TEACH THE SECOND!"

"So you are number 2," mocked Alexander. Enjoying the man's outrageous outbreaks of rage as they didn't seem all too dangerous. He hadn't threatened Alexander yet, so Alexander felt free to continue.

"Stop mocking me, please!" shouted Edward as he threw the fourth and final cup into the cage at Alexander.

"I got me a pretty nice cup collection now," said Alexander as he lined all four of the cups in a neat little row. He began to spin them about in small circles almost completely ignoring Edward.

"Anyways," said Edward as he removed his hat from his head and ran his fingers through his thick black hair, "I should thank you. You see the Marines have been our enemy for awhile now. See a few months ago we tried a raid on the Marine Base. We almost succeeded since the Captain in charge of the Marine Base was off on a job. So we only had weak Marines to deal with not to mention with my Devil Fruit power I easily slaughtered half of them myself. We almost made it but then this idiot blew himself up with us! Our job was derailed…we failed. But with your Marine Identification card we can easily walk into there, steal some weapons, and even better steal the Devil Fruit they've been hiding from me!"

"A Devil Fruit?" asked Alexander. He looked down at his own body which only existed because of a Devil Fruit, suddenly a spark of information returned to him about what he heard about Devil Fruits. "Wait a second! You said you already ate a Devil Fruit! That means if you eat another Devil Fruit you'll die!"

"You have no knowledge of the Blackbeard legacy! As his son, I can eat two Devil Fruits and survive!" shouted Edward he stood up proudly. He returned the hat to his head and smiled cockily. "He did it and I shall do it, too! I shall become the SECOND BLACKBEARD!"

"You don't even have a beard," Alexander calmly pointed out, the fact of his opponent's lack of facial hair only seemed to further irritate Edward. Edward tossed a plate into the cage at Alexander. "Man…I wanted another cup."

"Shut up!" shouted Edward as he began to circle the cage. "You have insulted me and my family! And for that you shall pay the ultimate price! But first do you have any last requests?"

"Wow. First you told me absolutely everything about your plan and now you are giving me my last request? Are you sure you want to do that?" said Alexander. He began looking around the room for anything else that could hint at this guy's stupidity.

"Of course," said Edward, "didn't your mother ever read you stories? All great pirates in the history of the world give a last request to the captured Marines."

"Can you let me out of the cage?" asked Alexander, not wishing to point out that in most of those stories the captured Marines escape.

"NO! Anything except for that," said Edward as he brandished a blade and stuck it into the cage prodding at Alexander.

"Can you give me the keys to the cage?"

"NO! Anything except for that, too."

"How about…ooh, how about one of those pick-axes and shovels hidden in a cake?" Alexander remembered old tales of how some foolhardy pirates once broke out of prison using this laughable means of escape.

"NO! Nothing that can help you escape!" Edward's face was turning bright red out of anger. This man had absolutely no idea of his power nor about the carnage he was about to unleash upon the poor town below them.

"Fine…I would like to speak with the rest of my crew then." It was the first thing he could think of that didn't involve helping him escape. Even though in all reality he highly doubted Rina would let an opportunity like this slip by her. She'd probably ask for something in return for his freedom.

"Who are the rest of your crew?" asked Edward as he raised an eyebrow at the possible last request. He heard of pirates that allowed their prisoners to see their loved one right before they killed them. It certainly would help him make his mark on pirate hall of fame.

"Well, let's see there's Rina Mitsukomi Chiran," explained Alexander, "a girl about this big. Dressed in a sailor fuka, uses chakram, and has a dog named Hayate. After Rina there is, well…I guess Hayate…and that's all." Alexander sighed. The thought that his team consisted of him, a girl, and a dog was a bit of a disappointment.

"A little girl and a dog!" shouted Edward. "It shall be done! I hope you enjoy it as your crewmate Rina watches me squeeze the life out of you with my new Devil Fruit powers. Boris, Kane, Marco! Get in here!" He snapped his fingers together loudly.

The three men Alexander saw wandering outside rushed into the room. Edward walked over to the big guy first. "Boris watch this Marine and make sure he doesn't get out. Also, do not listen to a word he says. Everything he says is a lie!" Edward eyed Alexander, despite his captain ranking he didn't seem like someone who could easily bust out of cage, but just in case.

"Right boss!" shouted the big guy as he pumped his muscles. "Everything that comes out this man's mouth is a lie! So, I just don't believe a word he says."

"Good," commanded Edward as he nodded his head and walked over to the next man in line, "Kane! Go get little Miss Chiran and her little dog and bring her here! Also make sure both her and Alexander are alive upon my return. I want to personally see to Alexander's demise."

"Right," said the man with a wicked smile and evil glinting in his eyes, "What do you plan on doing with this Miss Chiran girl after we kill Alexander?" You could almost see dozen of thoughts of torture and bloody dismemberment flash through his eyes as he spoke openly to Edward.

Edward paused for a moment as he thought about this. "Like all the pirates do in stories, I'll make her into my ship wench!"

"She'll kill you if you say that to her," warned Alexander calmly. Despite the fact that he hadn't been with Rina for all too long, he had gotten to know a few facts about her. One of the facts is that you don't want to say anything with any kind of sexually implicit meaning behind it, even if it is by accident. He still remembered the melon incident.

"SHUT UP!" commanded Edward, "I'll say whatever I want to your precious friend once you are dead. She'll be my ship wench and serve me and my brothers ice tea in a cute little outfit of our choosing."

"Yep," said Alexander as he reclined backwards and into the corner of his jail cell. "You are a dead man. Actually…you are past dead. Rina will kill you three times over if you say that to her. Possibly four times."

"SHUT UP!" Edward turned his back on Alexander as he faced the last man in line, the gunslinger. "Finally Marco, you are coming with me. We are going to pay little visit to the Marine Base to pick-up something that is rightfully ours after all we are the Sons of Blackbeard!" The four men quickly struck a pose with Boris waving a sign above their heads that read 'Suns of Blackbeard'.

"Your sign is misspelled," pointed out Alexander quietly from his spot in the cage. "'Sons' should be spelled with an O. Not with a U."

Edwards spared a look up at the sign fearing that Alexander was right. "Silence!" shouted Edward, "we were just…um…testing you. After all, where is the fun in capturing a prisoner if they don't even know how to spell 'sons'?…You passed."

Boris brought the sign down and immediately crossed out the U and put an O above it. "There we go boss!"

"Off to your assigned duties!" instructed Edward, the men around him broke off, scurrying all about in a mad frenzy, even Boris whose sole duty was to stay in the room with Alexander scurried out of the room only to return moments later. "Now what would a pirate do at a time like this? Oh, I know laugh evilly! Mwa hwa ha ha ha!" With that Edward turned his back on Alexander and left the room to catch up with Marco.

The room fell silent as Boris settled into his new seat in the room. His two eyes focused completely on Alexander. Alexander looked around the room sheepishly for a moment before speaking up, "can you get me another cup?"

"Lalala!" shouted the big man sticking his finger in his ears and closing his eyes, "I can't hear you! Everything you say is a lie!"

(-Back with Specter-)

"Huh," wondered Specter as he lifted his head up from his work. "I wonder what time it is…" Specter spun around and faced a wall. He loaded a second grenade into his crossbow and fired. The grenade came in contact with the wall and blew a hole into it. "There's my window." Specter peered out his 'window' and at the sky. "Its gotten dark. I wonder where Alexander is." Specter got up and wandered around the room for a few seconds, wondering where his new jester had run off to.

"_I should probably go look for him,"_ thought Specter as he went over to the door, _"or I could stay here and order room service in his name and have him pay the bill…_" Specter debated over this idea for a few moments before approaching the Den-Den Mushi in the room, "Yes, this is Captain Alexander from the Marines. I want one teriyaki steak with a large cola delivered to my room…"

The man on the other side of the snail spoke up, "Specter. I know this is you. We hang out everyday."

"No, this is Captain Alexander," repeated Specter, "but for confusing me with such a generous, honorable, and good-looking guy why don't you treat yourself to a pie on me, Captain Alexander."

The voice on the other side of the snail went silent, "yes, Captain Alexander. I will send you, Captain Alexander, one teriyaki steak and large cola to yours, Captain Alexander's, room right away."

* * *

><p>There Specter goes adding insult to injury…tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk. He will never learn, will he? Its actually quite sad. I feel bad for Alexander having to put up with a roommate like him. Anyways, the arc is finally getting to the good stuff. The 'So(u)ns of Blackbeard' are actually an idea submitted by one of you guys, the reviewers. That's right! I ACTUALLY DO READ YOUR REVIEWS!<p>

Also! I want to say thank you to Anonymous with Some Tips. I can only get better with your help and pointing out my mistakes and improving on those. So, thank you greatly for that deal.


	19. Chapter 19 Rina's Stroll

**Rina's Stroll Through Town!**

"Ah!" yawned Rina as she rolled out of her makeshift bed. Apparently the dumb Alexander made the mistake of not ordering separate beds. One bed was all that they got in this room, so Rina decided it would be best if she just made a makeshift bed on the couch. Not very comfortable, but it was better then the other option. Especially considering the fact that Alexander ordered wine for them last night.

For some reason though, Rina couldn't quite get angry with him. Alexander did stupid things like this on a daily basis and knowing Alexander he really did mean well…but the end result is always catastrophic. Rina sighed. She slowly walked over to Hayate, who was sleeping on the floor and nudged him awake. The duo walked outside of the room and into the fresh air.

Despite being here for a day, Rina still had yet to go to the Marine Base…she wondered if Alexander was up yet this morning. She wrote a quick note for Akane in case she woke up while she was gone. Afterwards, Rina quickly began to make her way towards the Marine Base.

Rina was immediately repelled by the sight of the Marine Base. Unlike the one she was used with Veri Fresh in charge…this one was a piece of crap. The walls were a brown color from the accumulated dust, but you could see the white walls peering through the layer or two of dust. The gates were broken into pieces probably through a recent fight, but the fact remained that they hadn't been fixed.

The Marine's budget must be pretty tight to allow a Marine Base like this to fall into such terrible standards. She walked up to the gate and was immediately stopped by a small man. He was in a Marine uniform, but like the rest of the Marine Base it was dirty and filthy. The man's eyes looked for off and distant in front of him sat a half-finished chocolate pie. "Excuse me, Miss," said the man, "Reason for visiting?"

"I'm Lieutenant Chiran Rina. I am here to visit Captain Alexander," stated Rina peacefully eyeing the odd man in front of her. Despite the fact that he was a Marine and probably one whose rank was equal to hers, she couldn't believe it. The man was obviously a slob from the way he dressed, he was eating pie while watching the broken gates, and he seemed to be half-asleep.

"Captain Alexander?" asked the man as he paused for a second. A smile crossed his face, "ah, yes, Captain Alexander! Such a nice and gracious young man!" His eyes darted over to the pie. "I'll just need to see your Marine card and official number."

Rina sighed. Ever since the last age of Pirates the Marines have cracked down on rules and regulations in order to make sure that their bases remain in great shape and are no longer infiltrated by some rogue pirate trying to make a quick buck by selling the equipment inside. Rina produced a small almost paper-like material and slid it into him. He made a quick glance at it and waved Rina through handing her card back to her. "He's on the top floor, Room 303."

Rina took her card and walked into the Marine Base. When she returned to the base she'd ask Veri Fresh to order some money to be put into this Marine Base at least enough to fix the walls.

When she finally got to the room she was even more ashamed of the state this Marine Base was in. The number was written in ink above it in pretty poor handwriting rather then on a plate like theirs. She knocked on the door hoping that the inside of the room was better then the outside.

(-Inside the room with Specter-)

Specter quickly combed through his inspections one last time. The Pop Cannon Mark 2! The Mark 1 had design issues that caused it to explode when fired. The Mark 2, hopefully, stopped that from happening. Now he just had to build it. With the power this cannon would provide he would soon be on his way to matching even Vegapunk's weapon technology!

He moved his hand over to the fork and jammed it downwards into the last bite of his Teriyaki steak. He began to wistfully chew on it in a celebratory manner that his new and improved weapon design was finished! He looked out his 'window' and out at the sky. Surprisingly the night had passed and it was day again…Specter sighed. Oh, well, he might as well go get some sleep. He walked over to his bed and crawled it into it.

He was just about to fall asleep…

But then somebody knocked.

Specter remained holed up in his bed for a few more seconds hoping that whoever was rude enough to come knocking at his room at this time would quickly tire and disappear. But the knocking continued and Specter remained in bed. A few seconds later another knock, Specter rolled over and covered his ears with his pillow. "GO AWAY!" shouted Specter, "I'M ASLEEP!"

"Hello?" asked Rina from outside the room. She could've sworn she heard something but it sounded muffled through the door.

Specter's eyes opened up. That was a girl's voice. He sat up in his bed and looked at the door. Very rarely has a girl ever came to his door on purpose. Most of the time he had to go find them and drag them here…NOT LITERALLY! He would put on the charm and woo them into his room. But a girl actually came here to find him. Specter stood up, sleeked back his hair, and walked over to the door and casually pulled it open. "Well, hello there beautiful."

Specter was knocked to the ground in seconds by Hayate. Hayate stood casually on top of him, with his tongue hanging out and his eyes looking up to Rina as if proud of knocking her comrade to the ground. "Sorry about that," apologized Rina, "Hayate seems to think he needs to protect me from everybody who uses cheesy pick-up lines. He doesn't know that sometimes people who use cheesy pick-up lines are my friends." Rina helped Specter to his feet.

"Oh, yes, but I want to be much more than that," hinted Specter which earned him a punch to the face courtesy of Rina.

"A-apparently you are someone who needs to be attacked by Hayate," said Rina irritated, as she walked into the room. Even it was disgrace two holes in the room that were big enough for someone to break in through. A strong scent of gunpowder in the room. This Marine Base was definitely lower class. "Where is Alexander at?"

Specter sat up. "Oh, him," muttered Specter dejectedly. It was too good to be true, "he went out for a walk." Specter quickly stood back up and wandered over to the desk. As soon as she left he's going back to bed.

"When will he back?" asked Rina as she examined the room more thoroughly. There was a dirty dish sitting on the desk next to an empty glass. Was everybody in this Marine Base a pig?

"I don't know," said Specter as he sat on the bed. _"Just leave already woman," _thought Specter.

"When did he leave," asked Rina again. Maybe Alexander went over to her place to apologize. She hoped Akane didn't kill him if he did.

"Late last night," said Specter. He reclined into the bed his eyes slowly starting to shutter themselves closed.

"Last night?" repeated Rina astounded, "and it didn't occur to you that he could've gotten lost?"

"Oh, no," muttered Specter, half-asleep as he turned over in bed, "I thought he might've gotten lost, but I figured I should stay here in case he came back." That was blatant lie. Specter just wanted to get a free steak and cola out of the deal.

"Which is why it took you about ten minutes to answer the door," pointed out Rina, "do you have any idea about where he would've went? Maybe he said something interesting or different to you?" _"This guy was absolutely no help," _thought Rina.

An evil look briefly flashed by on Specter's face, "he mentioned something about this love hotel he saw on his way into town. Said it looked like a fun place to hang out and meet some chicks."

Rina's eyes narrowed. "Hayate." Hayate leapt onto the bed and on top of Specter. He quickly bit down harshly onto Specter's ears.

"YEOWCH!" cried Specter as he jumped out of bed, sending Hayate tumbling off of him. "You may not want to hear that about your captain, but…!" A quick punch to Specter's face shut him up.

"Alexander probably doesn't even know what a love hotel is," said Rina calmly, "he's a baka. Now where did he go?"

Specter sighed. He knew when a joke was dead and done for. "I don't know. He asked me about the avalanche the other day, asked for some help about you and Akane, and then went for a walk. Did he go over to your hotel room for a little fun?" Another powerful swing from Rina knocked Specter to the ground and flat onto his butt.

"If you make another one of your perverted jokes…I'll…I'll…I don't even want to think about IT!" barked Rina. Even Hayate was cowering in fear from Rina's rather cruel actions towards the poor man.

"Fine!" shouted Specter quickly sitting back, rubbing his head. "I'm not joking about asking me about the avalanche and for some help with you and Akane." Specter wondered briefly if Rina would kill him if she found out about his little 'wife/kiss' joke. Oh, well, he'd burn that bridge when he crossed it.

"He must've headed up and to the mountain then," said Rina calmly. "Gather up your things." Rina walked over to the bed, she was going to sit on it and wait, but sparing another look at it and its probably bedbug infested state she shook her head and decided otherwise. "I'll wait outside for you."

"Why do I have to come?" asked Specter. He just wanted to sleep, hiking up the mountain just to check up on Alexander seemed like a waste of time. He'd just see him when he could just wait for Rina to haul his butt back here.

"I don't know my way up there," said Rina calmly, "and I could sure use some guidance from a local." True, she would prefer almost any other local at the moment, but if Alexander had been gone all night, she'd rather not waste any time to run back and get Akane. So, sadly, Specter would have to do.

"Then get another local," moaned Specter as he walked back over to his bed.

"WHAT?" shouted Rina, "I'm asking you for your help!" This man was really starting to piss her off.

"For the last four years I've been asking for a tall, blonde woman with double D's and a love for gunpowder and explosions to walk through that door," explained Specter pointing at his door, "when I get what I asked for…you'll get what you asked for."

"HAYATE!" commanded Rina.

(-With Kane-)

"Shit!" shouted Kane as he kicked over a couple of trash cans. He had been prowling the streets of the city for almost five hours now. With his head hung low he slowly spoke, "I have no fucking idea what this Miss Chiran girl looks like! But if I go back to the boss empty handed I'm literally dead meat!" He sighed as he looked around the streets. Too many freakin' females wandered the streets.

Out of the corner of his eyes he caught a young woman walking out of a hotel room. She wore primarily bright red clothing, but on her back was a large scythe. Kane smiled to himself. This Miss Chiran girl was supposed to be with the Marines…and he couldn't even think of anyone else who would walk around the streets with such an obvious weapon. He casually walked up to her, "hello, miss."

"Hello," replied Akane casually. She kept walking and ignored the smelly man. She didn't like to associate herself with men like him. Not to mention she had to go meet up with Rina and Alexander.

"Sorry, miss," said Kane as he rubbed his hands together as he began to think up an elaborate plan to trick her, "I just met this man…called Alexander he was up in the mountain and his leg is broken. He's asked to meet a woman named Miss Chiran, you know her?"

Akane's eyes narrowed, "did he ask for a Miss Aranami?"

"No," responded Kane calmly. He had to stay calm despite the fact that this girl was completely wasting his time with a dumb question like that, "Do you know a woman named Miss Chiran?"

Despite being irritated at Alexander's seemingly forgetfulness, she knew better then to play around, "yes, I know her."

"Good!" shouted Kane as he produced a sword and quickly pressed it against her throat, "take me to her and I might just let you live."

* * *

><p>...someone's going to die...the sad thing is it'll probably be Alexander...after all it is all his fault. ALSO! I just wanted to point this out for you people interested in still submitting an OC...probably a small margin of my actual reviewers...but I have redone the OC submission form...it is nothing major...I swear! I just added an attack section (you DO NOT have to do it, its just made it look cleaner if you ask me) and I also added a clothing section because I got at least five submissions where someone sent in someone without sending in their clothing preferences, and I really don't want to dress up females...males I can handle...females...no, just no. OH! I also added a list of all the positions I still want to fill so check it out.<p> 


	20. Chapter 20 The Intervention of Taka

**What's with all the Fighting?**

"Good!" shouted Kane as he produced a sword and quickly pressed it against her throat, "take me to her and I might just let you live."

"You dare to point your dirty blade at me?" asked Akane looking down upon Kane as he pressed the blade closer to her throat. "Don't you value your life?" Kane smirked as he stared up at Akane.

"Are you kidding me?" mocked Kane, "I got my blade pressed firmly against your neck! And you have the gall to insult me and my blade! This blade has cut more people then you have probably slept with! So I repeat myself, take me to this Miss Chiran girl!" Kane quickly dodged around Akane's body, positioning himself directly behind her.

"Really?" laughed Akane, ignoring the blade at her throat. You think you can threaten me? You are not even intimidating to me." Akane reached up to her neck and flipped her hair back.

"I am one of the four Sons of Blackbeard!" shouted Kane loudly, "I TERRORIZED THESE PEOPLE FOR DAYS DURING OUR LAST RAID AND YET YOU ARE LAUGHING AT ME!"

Akane smiled softly, "Really? You terrorized these people?" Akane looked around her and at the people walking by. "Then why are none of them screaming and running for cover? Your sword is out in the open and at the throat of some young lady…and no one seems to be bother by it…maybe you are not as good as you think you are?"

"SHUT UP!" shouted Kane as he drove his blade into Akane's throat, just enough to draw blood from it. "I am amazing! These people are just pretending not to see me as I prepare to kill you. They are well-trained."

"No…" spoke Akane quietly, "they just know something you don't…"

"Really? And what's that," snickered Kane as he began to lightly press the blade back against Akane's neck. He didn't want to kill her if it could be helped, but he didn't want to fail his mission even more.

"I'm stronger then you," said Akane. She bumped against her own scythe sending the handle of it spinning upwards and into Kane's chin, forcing him backwards. Akane quickly spun around bringing her scythe around and bringing the hard metal pole around and into Kane's gut forcing him further backwards. She was now fully facing the young man, who was doubled over grabbing his gut, "after all I was an assassin."

Kane glared upwards at his opponent, "crap…talk about my luck. Here I thought you were just a good-looking woman. Oh, well, a little workout never hurt anybody!" Kane dashed forward at Akane. With a flick of his wrist he brought his sword slashing through the air. Akane brought her scythe up with even better speed and blocked the slash using the hilt of her blade.

She smiled cockily at him. "I beg to differ. This little workout for me is going to hurt you a lot." Akane didn't waste a second as she approached Kane with another swing from her mighty scythe. Kane barely had enough time to bring his blade up in front of him to block the swing and even though he did manage to block the swing, Akane's superior strength tossed him backwards and across the ground.

Akane was relentless in her attacks by the time Kane managed to scramble back to his feet, Akane was already on top of him launching another devastating swing with her scythe. Kane caught the blow, this time unable to block, the scythe dug itself into his shoulder and tore skin off as Kane was blown backwards.

Akane twirled her scythe around in her right hand as she slowly walked over to Kane who was writhing in pain on the ground. She pointed the scythe downwards at Kane and smiled at him, "I suggest you give up and take me to where Alexander 'supposedly' is."

"The boss will kill me if I did that," spat Kane as he stood up and faced Akane again, "I might as well die right here!" Kane charged forward, his blade flashing in the light of the sun.

Akane's face was distorted with distaste as she dashed past him, her scythe fully extended. Kane was sent sprawling into the ground once more, blood spilling from the new wound straight across his chest. Kane hit the ground loudly, his mouth and eyes wide open in shock.

"Lucky for you," thought Akane out loud, "I'm no longer in the killing business so I'll give you mercy for today…but if you ever threaten me or my comrade again, I'll use my good hand." Akane shifted her scythe from her right hand into her left hand and took her leave. Akane fought the entire match with Kane using strictly her right hand, despite the fact that Akane was left-handed.

Akane was soon gone. Kane rolled over onto his side, his wound still bleeding. "CRAP!" Kane collapsed back onto the ground, "I should've been able to kill her! I'm a son of Blackbeard!"

"Kukukuku," laughed a nearby voice as a man walked out of the shadows, "you just don't know your limits do you?" The man tossed a look down the road that Akane left on, "that was on of our ex-members, Akane Aranami. It truly is a small world we live in."

"You!" said Kane as he twisted around in space and stumbled onto his feet, "you were the one that gave Edward the Devil Fruit! The fruit that gave him that ungodly power, you also told him about his abilities to possess two Devil Fruits, what about me? I don't want Edward to kill me! You got to have something for me!" Kane gripped the man's starch white collar.

"Pathetic," grunted the man as he slapped Kane's hands off of his collar, "but still…if you managed to kill Akane…that would be one less loose end that Taka would have to take of itself…so…sure…" the man bent down and glassed a small bottle filled with a strange colored liquid. "Drink this bottle right before you engage her in battle again…and not a moment sooner."

"Yes sir!" shouted Kane as he bent down and grasped the liquid, "anything for Taka sir!" Kane gripped the bottle tightly, he'd show that arrogant woman whose the boss once and for all.

The man smiled as he left. _"Those fools are sure easy to manipulate…first with making Edward believe that he'd be able to consume two Devil Fruits and now Kane…he'll just do some clean-up for us and then disappear," _the man laughed as he disappeared into the shadows once more.

(-With Rina, Hayate, and Specter-)

"Why do I have to go climb this mountain again?" complained Specter loudly, "I got more important things to be doing. Do you know what I could be doing? Do you? I could be finishing the problems with my Pop Cannon! Developing new ammunition and forms for my Pop Grenades, or better yet be working on creating a Pop Pluton! My very own version of the ancient weapon Pluton! A weapon so powerful I'd be able to stop all the wars in the world!"

"According to the map you had of the mountain," refocused Rina, ignoring Specter's random babblings, "we should be seeing plenty of tunnels that are used for the mining. I don't see any? Do you, Hayate?" The dog whined with a sad tone of defeat in his voice.

"Of course," exaggerated Specter, "listen to the dog! His tiny little dog brain must be way bigger then Specter's normal-sized human brain, who is saying by the way that we should just go back to my room and wait for Alexander to come back. He's a big boy he can take care of himself." Specter was half-tempted to turn around and run back to his room, leaving Rina and Hayate all alone out here, but he couldn't do that…Rina wouldn't let him.

"How long are you going to keep complaining for?" asked Rina, "I have no interest in being up at this dusty mountain, but Alexander has disappeared and idiot or no idiot, he is still my captain." She looked back down at the map, it didn't even look like where they were…were they lost? No, they couldn't be! Rina was an expert with maps, directions, longitude and latitude. With her skills there was no way they could be lost.

"What about your dog?" asked Specter, "do you think he has picked up the trail of Alexander's scent by now?" Specter looked down at the dog that followed Rina every which way that she went, regardless of the terrain or boulders that were in the way.

"First off, a Shiba Inu isn't bred for being able to smell. Hayate isn't a bloodhound or anything of the sort, and second of all, this entire place smells strictly of rocks and the gunpowder you guys use for T.N.T. Hayate wouldn't be able to smell much else," explained Rina, her eyes still completely focused on the map.

"Huh," remarked Specter, "so, he's basically just for attacking me and nothing else? Wonderful." Specter peered over Rina's shoulder and at the map she was carrying, "why did you grab that map anyways?"

"…what do you mean?" asked Rina, fearing the worst.

"That map is for entering on the other side of the mountain where most of the gems are," pointed out Specter, "but we aren't looking for the gems, so it would been smarter to grab the other map."

"Why didn't you point this out to me earlier?" asked Rina, her face full of distress.

Specter shrugged casually, "figured you'd notice it or give up before we got too far into the mountain that we can't find our way back."

"YAAAHHHH!" screamed Rina as she shredded the map into a thousand pieces and threw the newly created confetti over her shoulder, "fine…let's go back and pick-up the other map, the map for entering on this side." Rina turned about and began to head down one of the paths.

"You're going the wrong way," sang Specter happily. "The correct path is that path." He pointed out a separate path, close to Rina's path but a little bit further to the left.

"Excuse me," bragged Rina, "you may not know this, but I'm a Navigator. Telling where I am from landmarks and the sky is almost second nature to me. Therefore based on the locations of those boulders, the sun's position, and what time we left the Marine Base at I can easily figure out how to get back. And how do we get back? By taking that path."

"Yeah, sure," said Specter, sarcastically, "You may not know this, but all boulders look alike, all caves look alike, and also all paths look alike. You have to go based off of your street smarts up here and I'm just better at that then you."

"Then how about a race," challenged Rina, "first one back to the Marine Base buys lunch." Rina could just taste the saké and steak as she mentally retraced her steps back to the Marine Base.

"You got it," boasted Specter, "and when I win, you'll buy me three Teriyaki steaks and some cola." Specter's mind skipped back to his previous meal, which was bought by the courteous Captain Alexander. He'd be getting two free meals off of these people. Boy, was he lucky.

"See ya at the restaurant," said Rina with a casual wave behind her as she began to march down her path.

"I just hope the mountain lions and the bears don't eat you before I eat MY steak," countered Specter. Truth be told, there wasn't a single mountain lion or bear on this mountain. He just wanted to unnerve her.

(-With Alexander-)

"I'm hungry," whined Alexander as he watched Boris, the brutish bandit who was in charge of watching over him, start eating his chicken leg with great enthusiasm. The last time Alexander ate was yesterday's breakfast. His lunch was disturbed by the avalanche and his dinner was skipped on account of being caught. And today's breakfast was off the menu as none of the Sons of Blackbeard have heard of hospitality.

"Bu bar boar bribobor, bu'll beat ben be bay bou ban beat!" grunted Boris with a mouthful of food. His unsavory and unruly manners made his speak harder to understand, but basically boiled down to 'you are our prisoner you'll eat when we say you can eat'.

"Fine," complained Alexander as he leaned back in his cage, "in that case you'll get your cups back when I say you can get your cups back." Alexander put his foot carefully on top of one of the cups located in his cage.

Boris looked down upon his meal. He had chicken, pork, fish, beef, and bacon all laid out in front of him, to him these were all of the major food groups, but he didn't have a single glass of water or milk. "uh…I'll just get one of our other cups. I mean, we have four of them."

"No," said Alexander as he produced the other three cups, "I have four of them." Boris looked in at the four cups Alexander had gathered.

"…what do you say about a trade?" asked Boris as he grabbed one of his legs of chicken, which already had a bite taken out of it. Boris waved the leg of chicken in front of Alexander.

"Sure, I'll have escargot, a crème brulee, and your finest glass of sparkling apple cider" mocked Alexander. He really didn't want any of them, he just wanted to see Boris' dumbfounded face.

"OKAY!" shouted Boris as he disappeared into the kitchen. Moments later he appeared with a plate of snails (still alive at that), a burnt bowl of peanut butter, and a bowl full of apple cider with glitter dumped into it.

Alexander looked at the disgusting array of food for a few seconds before speaking, "on second thought, just hand my some of your barbecue chicken."

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><p>Wow…if being trapped in a cage doesn't kill Alexander…Boris' cooking will. The fight scenes haven't officially started yet, I promise once they do you'll be able to see an actual fight…not just Akane whooping some poor guy's butt. But also Taka's involvement on this island is also becoming more and more obvious with the man in the white suit…will Alexander, Rina, Specter, and Akane be able to stop it? More importantly who will win the free meal? Specter or Rina?<p> 


	21. Chapter 21 Edward's Dramatic Entrance!

**Edward's Dramatic Entrance!**

**Everybody has their Own Problems!**

Edward was fast approaching the gate of the Marine Base. The thoughts of his new Devil Fruit powers had put him into his own little fantasy world. He hadn't heard of what the new Devil Fruit power could be. The Marine had yet to piece the puzzle together either. That was the whole reason it was still there. No Marine had wanted to risk their Devil Fruit chance on some possibly lame Devil Fruit. But Edward didn't care. Two incredibly lame Devil Fruits were still better then one. And he was the only person in the world that could handle two.

He felt himself propelled through the streets. His stride a little bit more fast-paced then his usual sluggish and unmotivated walk. No, now he was STRIDING with both speed and motivation. His goals were all coming together. The Devil Fruit powers made his mouth wet with anticipation. Sadly, though, Edward also had to remember the awful taste of his last Devil Fruit power. The taste that reminded him all too much of sand, kitty litter, and his brother's armpit. He shivered at the thought of having to endure the torture of eating it once more, but he persevered and continued on his path to the Marine Base.

His gunslinger of a brother was slinking behind him, he seemed to lack the same drive and motivation that currently propelled Edward. He was bored and wanted a way to entertain himself. This Marine Base mission was one of stealth, not of action. He didn't see the point in getting out of bed everyday unless he could shoot someone (and he often did with or without his brothers' approval). He hovered behind Edward even as they approached the Marine gate and the large twin doors blocked their path before them.

Edward was the first to notice the gate guard who was laying inside the small booth stationed just outside the Marine gates. The man looked like he had been drugged. Next to him laid a large empty pie pan. His wakening groans of probably stomach pain could easily be mistaken for the groans of a man who had been knocked out. The man looked up and stared Edward in the face. The man had the stupidest look displayed on his face. It was dimwitted, slow, and probably as unmotivated as Edward's gunslinger.

Edward paused before he spoke almost believing that he should just knock the gate down and launch a complete attack on the Marine Base. If the guard was like this, Edward had to wonder what the people inside were like. If they were all lazing around with empty pie pans stretched next to them, but Edward decided against that and spoke, "excuse me good sir. I need to run in and get something for a Marine friend of mine. You may know of him, he is Captain Alexander. Gwa ha ha ha ha!" Edward's hands jumped to cover his mouth. Sadly, he didn't inherit his 'father's' silver tongue. Whenever Edward lied he had to laugh...it was an unfortunate problem.

The guard's face lit up for a second with devilish grin as he remembered how he got his pie, completely ignoring Edward's uproarious laughter, before he calmed back down, "oh, yeah, I know him. He is a swell guy. He actually bought me my pie." The guard motioned to the empty pan behind him before continuing, "I'm going to need see his Identification card, though. We stepped up security here since the last attack."

"Ah, I know." Of course, Edward knew he was the one that launched that attack, he was the one that told him and his fellow bandits to launch an attack. And they ALMOST succeeded. Edward produced the small piece of plastic he had stolen from Alexander and slid it under the window to the guard. The guard nodded slowly as he examined it and made sure it was the authentic thing instead of a cheap replica.

First off was just to simply make sure they got the materials. A small plastic card...not a a paper card like villains tried to pass off. Nope, this thing was the real deal. Then it was a simple cross check. Make sure the Marine number on the card matched up to the Marine number of the person it was issued to. It was. Finally, was the secret. Lacking any better methods to make sure nothing was ever duplicated, the Marines have opted for a small vivre card stowed away behind a small hidden compartment in the card. The vivre card pointed to the current Fleet Admiral, therefore unless someone charged the Fleet Admiral it would be impossible to duplicate. If all three of these things were in order, the Marine Identification card would be considered 'the real deal'. This one was. The guard smiled smugly as he handed the card over to Edward. 'I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

"No problem at all," chuckled Edward as he tried to hide his tell-tale laugh. "The last thing I want is for some evil bandit to steal into the Marine Base and waltz to the Devil Fruit you guys are hiding in here and just take it right from under your noses. I mean that would be just plain terrible! I would never...gwa...want...ha...that to...happen...ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Y-yeah," stuttered the guard off-taken by what just transpired. He calmed down fairly quickly and joined in with Edward's laugh. "That would be down right terrible! I do indeed hope that never happens! Especially not while I am the gate guard!"

"Right, right," laughed Edward uncomfortably as he began to slowly to step past both the gate guard and into the large iron gates that protected the Marine Base.

The gunslinger slumped behind him. Out of the three of them he was probably the only one that was well aware of how stupid they were acting while they were both in charge of such an important role. They were both acting impotent and reckless. Edward just basically declared his intent to rob this place and the guard let him through without batting an eyelash. He chuckled to himself as they entered the gate. "Well, boss, I think it be best if we split up here. In about twenty minutes, I'll create a big of a disturbance as possible. That will be your cue to..."

Edward stuck out his hand silencing the gunslinger, "excuse me. I believe I am the head of our bandit organization, I believe this was my brilliant idea, so I believe you shouldn't give me any commands! Now here is my plan...we will split up. In about twenty minutes you will create a large disturbance signaling, this will distract the Marines, and allow me to steal the Devil Fruit more easily! This is probably my best plan yet! Gwa ha ha ha ha!" Edward stifled his laughter.

The gunslinger had an obvious sign of irritation written over his face, but be it as it may Edward's strength still dwarfed his own. The blasted Devil Fruit Edward had devoured made his strength probably about ten times the strength of his...if he could get his hands on this Devil Fruit though...slowly but surely a small but extremely possibly plan began to form in his head. He had all the materials to do so and twenty minutes was more then enough time..."yes, boss," lied the gunslinger as he slithered away to put his plan into action.

Edward smiled. He had such trustworthy companions. First Boris was detaining the one Marine who knew about the plan, Kane was gathering a second hostage, and now his last partner was helping him steal a Devil Fruit! This called for a celebration. Maybe a slice of that pie that the gate guard had eaten? Yes, that would do quite nicely!

(-With Rina & Hayate-)

Rina slumped through the mountains, kicking up a pile of dust every time she even attempted to move her feet. Its been awhile since Rina and Specter had gone up into the mountain and as time passed she was growing ever more worried that Specter had beaten her back to the Marine Base. She didn't really care about the free meal that would be the victor's prize, her concern was more about wiping the smug look from Specter's face.

She gazed back up at the sky. If it had been night she could've used the stars to judge their positions and made an accurate guess, if they were at seas she could've found a viable current, if they were anywhere except in a stupid, damn mountain she would've been correct. She would've accurately been able to figure out where she was and how to get back to the Marine Base. She let out a brief sigh as she continued on her path.

Even Hayate was starting to move more sluggishly, Rina noted as she watched her friend struggle to compensate for the difference in leg length. Whenever Rina made one step, Hayate had to work double time and take two or three. They were both properly trained and all...but...they'd been on the move ever since morning. And by now, judging from the sun, it was probably noon. Rina just recalled that the duo had skipped breakfast and intended to eat once they met back up with Alexander...now they also skipped their regular appointed lunch time.

Rina noticed a small cluster of rocks just ahead. A small break wouldn't hurt, after all, she was confident that Specter had beaten her back to the Marine Base, so stopping for a lunch break wouldn't hurt her chances of winning, now would it? She raced up to the rock formation with Hayate close behind, sensing a slight alleviation in the heavy presence. Rina took out a handkerchief and her water bottle, along with a small travel-sized dish for Hayate. She poured Hayate his bowl of water first and then took her own sip. Afterwards was a slab of meat for Hayate (being placed on a handkerchief as to not get dirt on it while Hayate ate it) and a small sandwich for Rina.

The duo were so wrapped up in the meal that they failed to take note of the large man a few feet over behind the large rock. He, too, was too wrapped up in...what he was doing to take note of them. After a few seconds of happily munching, Rina heard him. It sounded like a large man humming a child's lullaby...out of tune, but it still sounded like a child's lullaby. But there was another sound hidden beneath the humming...almost like...water running...mo, more like trickling. Rina looked around her carefully, which of course, alerted Hayate. Hayate quickly located the man and let out is loudest bark "ARF!"

"Aya!" shouted the man, his gentle humming disappearing. "What da 'ell! Can't a man empty 'is bladder in piece no more?" The sound of someone's pants being zipped up could be heard. Rina immediately felt both grossed and almost her personal space had been invaded, by the man. The man came out from behind the rocks and approached the two.

"Da name be Boris!" shouted the man, his voice booming with pride (despite just coming back from a bathroom break). "I am one of da most fearsome bandits in dis here mountain! Me an' me three bruders have captured a Marine Captain so I wouldn't be messin' wit' us!"

Rina was still reeling from the thought that a man, much less a complete stranger, was relieving himself just a few feet away from her! "What the hell is the matter with you?" shouted Rina approaching the man. "Don't you know how to use a bathroom like normal folk!" Her usual shyness disappeared due to the incorrigible man's manners.

"Hey...yous be kinda' cute now. What do yous say ta us goin' back ta ma place and havin' a nice friendly chat," said Boris as he wrapped his arm around and put his hand on her shoulder.

A large tick appeared on Rina's forehead as she brought her leg straight up and back down upon Boris' large head smashing him down into the rocky terrain below, "WASH YOUR FUCKING HANDS BEFORE YOU DARE TO TOUCH ME!" Rina took out a spare handkerchief and began to try to wipe her shoulder clean from the man's rancid and urine-stench touch.

"Dat wasn't very nice," muttered Boris as he stood back up. Rina gazed at his head, no bump or bruise was on it despite the powerful kick that just sent him into solid rock. Rina thanked heavens for the kick, though, it allowed her to calm down and view the man standing before her. He was huge. He reminded her of a great ape. Only bigger with less hair. Rina chuckled nervously as his breath began to fill her nostrils. It smelled of barbecued chicken, pork, and other assortment of meat. It was nauseating.

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><p>Okay, okay, okay...I am very very late. But I have a very good excuse...a dog ate my computer! Kidding, kidding, mostly. After I finished the chapters on my home computer it died forever (a moment of silence please) and I lost all of my work...then I rewrote it on my laptop...then it crashed, BUT it was successfully revived! But I still lost all my work...so this is the...third...rewrite...THE THIRD!<p>

Even though the three rewrites made this chapter a lot better. The original was shorter and had less important information and I didn't include as many plot developments. So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter...for all the blood, sweat, and tears it cost me. Anyways, be sure to leave me reviews...


	22. Chapter 22 Hard Workers

**The Hard-Workers!**

**Combat in the Mountain!  
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Akane rushed through the streets at high speeds ignoring the nearby bystanders. She cursed herself for not putting it together faster. The facts were all present. They even stated it to her. Her original idea was to go and get Alexander, but that idea was out. Alexander was strong and she highly doubted the fact that they had actually managed to capture him. They were simple mountain bandits, Alexander was Marine Captain. One capable of splitting a boulder at that. Any mountain bandit stupid enough to capture him was dead, but...they weren't just targeting him. They were going after Rina.

She saw Alexander smash a boulder. Rina's strength wasn't anyway near that, she knows that for a fact. Rina was the one that she needed to help. Alexander could fare for himself for a little bit while longer, Rina...Akane wasn't so sure about Rina. If Alexander was truly captured then that means Rina was probably stuck at the Marine Base or some other location with Specter. Her trust in Specter wasn't all too high. She wouldn't put it past him to lead Rina into the mountains and leave her up there without a map! Its entirely possible with Specter's cruel sense of humor.

The bandit looked familiar, too. It was possible that he was part of the group of bandits that attacked the Marine Base a little while back...if that was the case. Rina might be in trouble. The boss of the group and his right hand man, the gunslinger...they were both capable fighters. The boss was a Devil Fruit user and the gunslinger was vicious and he was also a very dirty fighter. He lied, he cheated, and he used hostages...the more Akane thought about it, the more she started to panic. If these guys were to act like she heard they would, capturing Rina and maybe even Alexander was possible.

Akane had to put those thoughts out of her head as she saw the large Marine Gates open up in front of her. She strode up to the gate guard and approached him. "Excuse me!" she shouted as she knocked on the glass window separating them, "I am here looking for a girl." The gate guard shook his head as he came to, he was looking up at her with sleepy eyes.

"Just what I love to here from a girl," he said, half awake. He wiped his eyes as he turned to Akane. "I'll just need to see your Marine Identification card."

"Right," said Akane as she began to shuffle through the hidden pockets on her costume with great vigor. A look of distress crossed Akane's face as she pulled her hands out of her pockets. She must have forgotten one of the most important items for a Marine soldier. She sighed as she returned her attention to the guard, who was smiling from ear to ear, "Excuse me, good sir, but I have apparently forgot my Marine Identification card at my hotel. But you don't understand the..."

"NOPE!" shouted the gate guard as he banged his fists against his desks for effect, "as the gate guard it is my duty to keep out all possible bandits and pirates. It is my sacred duty to protect this very important place of protection for everyday person. It may be extremely boring and the people I see everyday are often less then kind."

"Really?" asked Akane. She was surprised that despite the fact that he began speaking with a pretty good beginning for a powerful speech, it was terrible as he began to so his true self. Akane was currently resisting her basic urge to reach over the counter and hit him. "Fine," muttered Akane as she tried to calm herself down, "can you send someone in to get me a girl named Rina Chiran?"

"Hmm...sure," said the guard as he bent down and began to shuffle through the papers in one of the lower drawers, "just let me fill out this application for my work...uh name?" Akane responded. "I am supposed to search through the Marine Base for this...Riran Chinami?"

"Rina Chiran," corrected Akane amazed at this man's ability to completely screw up something as simple as a name that he heard only moments ago.

"Okay," said the guard as he continued to check off a couple more of boxes and asking Akane more and more questions. "Fine then. Don't worry just wait for around 6 to 8 months and I'm sure the paperwork will go through and I'll be able to put a man on the job right after that. See you then."

"Excuse me!" shouted Akane as she banged heavily onto the window, "do you know how important this is? There's a bandit up in the mountain holding her captain prisoner! And the rest of the bandits are searching for Rina to do...god knows what to her!"

"Hmm...nope. I'm not falling for that!" shouted the guard. "I am not stupid. You are going to have to come up with a better lie then that if you plan on tricking me! I am too smart to be tricked by the likes of you. I mean a group of mountain bandits? Yeah, right."

"Fine!" shouted Akane as she struck out with hr scythe, wrapping its sharp blade around his neck, "if telling you its an emergency doesn't work, then maybe threatening will! Now call Rina up this instant and tell her Akane is waiting at the gate for her. And tell her its an emergency!"

The guard swallowed his spit, his mouth all of a sudden felt very, very dry as he looked Akane in the eye. "Y-ye-yes sir, uh...ma'am. Right away! Right away!" he said as he picked up a small Den-Den Mushi. He quickly began to relay the message Akane had given him through the Den-Den Mushi and to the entire Marine Base.

"Good," said Akane as she sat down outside of the booth without removing her scythe from the man's neck, "now I just have to wait." She just couldn't shake the feeling that she was too late.

(-With Rina-)

Rina's entire body was tensed up. The giant man in front of her was different then anyone else she ever met on the job. She had met people whose size was comparable to this man and even people whose manners were like his, but there was something else about this man that made Rina take a step back. Something else about the monster in front of her that made her feel uneasy.

"I was jus' bein' all polite and da like and then you jus' go ahead an' kick me?" asked Boris as he approached Rina. The polluted stench of his breath was starting to make Rina feel even more nauseated. "I'm startin' ta feel like I should jus' take yous down wit' a simple punch even if yous be a purty little gurl." Boris chuckled as he grew closer and closer to Rina.

Rina took another half-step back. The man's putrid aroma seemed almost to be slowing her movements, her thoughts were wavering from the large man to his smell. Her attention was divided between the two and she could barely focus on his stance. Rina's dodge wasn't due to her superior fighting skills, but rather her superior fighting experience. When Boris tossed a straight punch directly at her, she dodged to the side simply on reflex.

Boris smiled as he returned his stance back to a simple standing stance and turned away, "yous don't look like any fun. I'll jus' go back ta playin' wit' Alexander. He looks like he'd be fun. Too bad I'm on strict orders not to..." Boris pivoted around just in time to block a quick spinning kick from Rina. Rina's left leg was firmly planted in the ground, but her right leg had been brought around and aimed right at his head.

"Sorry," apologized Rina as she brought her right leg back down to the ground, "but I'm afraid your play thing, Alexander, might just be my partner. And as his partner I have a sworn duty to save him from anyone like you." Her eyes locked onto Boris' eyes for a brief seconds as the two highly trained physical fighters figured each other out.

Boris broke the lock first with a chuckle and a shrug, "Da Alexander I caught is a Marine Captain. Is he da man yous be lookin' fer?" Rina gulped and nodded her head. Boris let loose a boisterous laugh, "Gwa ha ha ha ha ha! Well, missy, yous can't have 'im. He be me and me bruders' bargainin' chip in case dey get caught."

"In case dey...er, they get caught doing what exactly?" asked Rina. Did this guy seriously manage to capture Alexander? Rina immediately took up a defensive stance as she eyed him. Its possible. A guy this big has got to have some major strength...as long as he wasn't the brains of the operation...it was possible.

"Dat be nun of your bidniss!" shouted Boris as his entire body came forward as he fired a single punch at Rina. Rina jumped backward avoiding the impressive punch of Boris. She watched as Boris' huge fist shattered the ground beneath him sending a large shower of stones, dirt, and various weeds into the air. Rina could even feel the shock wave of Boris' punch shake the ground around him, Rina felt her legs shake from it. It almost felt like she was going to fall from the power.

Rina charged forward and launched a fist in Boris' direction. The power behind the punch was impressive, at least that is what Rina felt until she made contact with Boris. Rina's punch made a clear connection to Boris' side, she felt it connect, but Boris' side was like a rock. It didn't budge despite the force Rina put into it. Boris didn't even stumble in either direction, he remained standing. He quickly brought his entire body around and brought his open palm directly down upon on Rina's face pushing her entire body downwards and into the dusty mountain terrain beneath them.

Rina didn't waste a moment as soon as Boris lifted his hand up, Rina jumped away separating herself from the mountain of a man. Rina dashed forward, jumping into the air and making a quick turn in the air and launched a powerful kick straight for Boris' head. Boris brought his hand up and caught the kick with his big meaty hands. Rina let loose a quick screech as her eyes met up with Boris. Boris twisted around prepared to through Rina through the air. As soon as he was prepped for the throw his grip broke as he let out a high-pitched piercing scream.

Rina fell to the ground and quickly re-balanced herself and stood back-up, once again distancing herself from Boris. She looked onwards and saw what made Boris let loose such a pathetic scream. Hayate had buried all of his teeth deep into the man's meaty calf and wasn't letting go even as Boris shook his leg trying to separate them. Boris' brow lowered as he slammed his leg into the ground for balance. Boris stood above Hayate, looking downward upon the poor dog. Boris brought his fist straight down into the dog, dislodging Hayate from his leg and hurting the poor animal. Boris laughed as he spun around to face Rina again.

Boris felt a quick breeze as Rina dashed past him, ignoring him. Rina crouched down and picked up Hayate in her arms. The little animal had caught the worse of the attack...Rina got up and walked over to a nearby rock. She gently laid Hayate down on the rock. Rina quickly returned her glare to Boris.

Boris felt something weird in him. A girl about half his size, who he just knocked around...seemed to be startling. It was just a quick twinge of fear that filled him for a second...he swore! But...it was still a twinge of fear...he still felt it for a second as he stared down the young girl. He shouldn't be this afraid of a girl...but the kind and sweet air that had surrounded her moments ago had vanished. It was replaced with that that he had only felt when he was in the presence of Edward. The same killing intent...every bone-chilling moment.

But at that same moment it would be lie if Boris said that he didn't want to fight her. He felt an unimaginable desire to fight. He was interested in fighting someone with the same aura as Edward. He wanted to fight her. This was a moment of incredible excitement to him. He wanted to go with her. He really wanted to fight with someone like her. This was going to be fun for him.

* * *

><p>Akane has finally arrived at the Marine Base, where no one except the killers she's trying to find is present, and the person she's looking for is up in the mountain! Rina has met someone twice her size (with terrible manners) and on top of that Hayate has just been smashed by him! This fight is guaranteed to get hot and dicey! But what on earth happened to Alexander and Specter? Its been awhile since we heard from them!<p> 


	23. Chapter 23 Bandits and the Trouble They

**Bandits and the Trouble they Cause**

Boris watched Rina walk around him, each of them waiting for the other to drop their guard. In that instant the other wouldn't waste a second. They'd dive in with the intent of attacking with all of their strength, neither one would hold back right now. Both of them had the same idea of fighting the other and winning as quickly as they could. A fight that dragged on would be bad for both. They knew all too well, the longer the fight dragged on the more likely it is that the one would gain the upper hand. A quick win was their goal.

Boris was sizing her up and Rina was sizing him up. This part of the fight was important to two fighters, especially two of them that are equally matched. If they made the first move and it failed...it would be disastrous, but if their opponent made the first move and it succeeded, it would be just as disastrous. And neither one of them believed that right now, they could get in a successful first hit.

Boris was at a disadvantage from the beginning, his attention span was shorter...his attention span was terribly short. A few minutes without something entertaining would make him go crazy. Standing in front of a worthy opponent, someone who wanted to beat the living crap out of him no less, made him feel energized. It made the seconds before the first attack seem even longer...and yet, he didn't attack first.

Rina charged forward, her anger towards the man who harmed her dog, clouding her thoughts. She dashed forward. Her leg fully extended, a powerful kick aimed at Boris once more. Boris reached up and prepared to grab it again. Rina immediately caught onto this and used her free leg that wasn't going to be used for kicking to kick Boris's hand and propel herself away from Boris' big meaty lock and throw that was awaiting her. She wasn't about to fall for the same trick twice. Especially not now.

Boris chuckled to himself. The fight was heating up. This was exactly what he had always expected a fight between him and Edward would be like, granted Edward's strength and speed as a lot greater then the girl's, but as far technique...this girl was impressive. Boris' entire body felt energized just by sharing a few blows with her. This time he'd make the first move. He charged forward, his entire rhino-like body pumped full of adrenaline came crashing towards Rina. Rina leapt straight up into the air, using Boris' bald head as a steeping stone as she was vaulted into the air above him. Boris grunted as he ended up sliding around on the ground beneath her. His huge hulking mass causing him to lose friction on the ground.

Rina quickly did a pivot on the ground, tossing one of her chakrams through the air, it sailed straight through as true as it should've been. The fact that Boris had just landed recovered from his charge meant that he barely had enough time to turn and see the chakram sail towards him much less to react. The large, flat, metal disc sliced into Boris' shoulder sending him stumbling backwards from the pain for a brief second, before he regained his composure and brought his leg straight down to the ground and balanced himself out again.

"Not quite what I expected from a little gurl like yerself," mocked Boris as he took a half-step forward. "A weapon, how is...dis...dis...dishonest? I don't think dat be the right word...but I will use it anyway! I wanted a fist fight wit' you not dis...dis is just disa...disa...disappointing! Dat be da right word dis time." Boris brought his entire body down to a kneeling position with one hand on the ground to help with his balance. He launched himself from his spot, his body like bull charging at the color red.

Rine jumped up once more soaring over Boris one again. This time when she was right above him she made a kick straight down, bringing the heel of her shoe straight into his back. The force wasn't anything great and certainly not enough to bring the monster down, but it still counted as a hit for her. She watched as Boris smashed into the rock in front of him, but didn't slow down. Instead he made a wide turn and redirected himself over and back at Rina for another full-body tackle.

Rina knew that her one advantage against a man like this was her speed. Her power and defense were both completely lacking in comparison to Boris'. Rina's only real hope was to avoid as many of his attacks as possible and then slowly whittle away his strength. It would basically be a death of a thousand paper-cuts, but that was her best shot...it wasn't really all that encouraging.

Rina jumped into the air once more, intending to make another aerial escape, but she realized too late that Boris had expected it. Boris lifted his right hand up and into the air. He opened his fist and made an open palm. The large hand of his smashed into Rina's body in midair. Rina grunted as she was tossed helplessly throughout the air. Without her feet firmly planted in the earth beneath her, nothing could slow her down. She sailed through the air until she hit the ground and rolled over and over herself in one direction.

She grunted as she lifted her body up and off of the dirty, dust-covered ground. For a brief moment Rina stared upwards at her opponent. Boris' impressive build made it similar to looking up at the crow's nest of a ship from the hull. His shadow engulfed the area around her surrounding her with darkness. Boris enjoyed this moment as he stared downwards at her, a happy smile on his face, he was enjoying the moment he had right. The moment of complete superiority over one's opponent. His one tone body was still standing while her small body, which probably weighed only close to 100, laid helplessly on the ground at his feet...and that made Rina sick.

Rina started to spin on the ground, using her shoulders as a support and sticking them into the ground, she brought the toe of her left foot spinning around and slammed it straight into Boris' body. Continuing the spin she then brought the heel of her right foot into Boris' face. Boris' body barely reacted to either kick, but it gave Rina enough time and momentum to spin backwards, and separate the two contestants once again.

Rina wasn't about to slow down. **"Dance of the Chakram!" **She quickly launched herself from her new position forward, bringing her entire body forward, armed with another chakram, she brought the sharp metal edge of the weapon forward and across, almost slicing Boris' face with the weapon. Boris stumbled backwards, barely avoiding the chakram. Rina landed on her feet, "**Dance of the Waves!" **Rina's chakram surrounded her fist with the edge of it facing upwards, Rina brought her fist upwards, performing a powerful uppercut. Combined with her chakram the punch was turned into a deadly technique.

Boris tried to dodge backwards but couldn't. The attack came as such a surprise especially as a follow-up to another stroke that Boris didn't know how to react. The sharp steel edge of Rina's chakram came straight up and into Boris' flabby gut and continued to carve him open as it stretched all the way up to his chin, leaving him with an impressive bloody tear. Boris grunted in pain as he stumbled back, both of his hands clamoring around his cut chin.

"**Dance of Strong Winds!" **Rina began to run from side-to-side as if ignoring Boris, who was now crying in agony. Slowly, but surly though Rina began to pick up speeds. She was steadily running faster and faster, the momentum from each of her previous dashes increasing the speed of her next. Eventually she stopped the nonsensical running back and forth and charged at Boris, her small body moving at such impressive speeds that the force of this attack was going to be incredible...if it had hit.

Boris had did a half-step forward, bracing his legs against the ground and brought the rest of his body forward. He pressed both of his hands underneath Rina's breasts and tossed her straight up into the air, using her own forward momentum to force her even higher into the air. Boris smiled as he watched Rina fly higher and higher into the air. He turned around and began to leave and head back to the base, where he should be. He still had to watched over Captain Alexander.

"** of the Metttteeeeeoooooorrrrrrrrrrr!"**Rina's voice came soaring through the air as she came down. Boris paused and looked up just in time to see Rina's leg stretched out to its fullest coming right down on top of him. Her foot smashed into the top of Boris' head sending the large giant crashing into the earth beneath him.

Rina collapsed onto the ground next to him. The fall from such a dangerous height was dangerous and reckless...she didn't want to try to do that again. She let out a quick sigh of relief as she stood back up. She looked over at Hayate, who was still laying on the rock. She felt relieved as she watched her dog's chest rise and fall with each breath. The hit from Boris couldn't have been easy on his tiny body...Rina turned back around to Boris, who was lying on the ground. She lifted her foot up and above his head, one final hit. For Hayate!

Rina brought her foot down straight on top of Boris' head. But something stopped her halfway. Boris' right hand had come back up and was grasped around her ankle. Boris' head lifted up from the ground, he had a wicked smile on his face as he looked upwards upon Rina's body. "Nice shot yous got in on me dere."

(-With the gunslinger of Edwards' crew-)

The gunslinger remained crouched up behind a large wall as he laid in wait for the Marines to move. He finally saw his moment, the guards were changing positions and the new ones coming in was a smaller group. He had to guess that the sole reason for this was that the previous group had been a night-shift. So in order to prevent night raids they had a larger night guard then day guard. He chuckled to himself as he watched them move out, a few dead bodies would definitely make for an interesting scene, he could just imagine the base squirming and panicking at the sight.

He made his move. He took a step forward and out of the shadows. The guards immediately brought their guns up and aimed them at the intruder. The gunslinger smiled, "sorry, for the intrusion. But I seemed to have misplaced my gun...I just want to step into the armory and pick one up. Do either one of you two have the key."

The two guards shared the same look. They didn't trust the man, but no sign of a break-in has occurred yet...he could be telling the truth. "I have the key," spoke one of the guards finally. "But first things first, I haven't seen you around here yet," his voice practically dripping with distrust. He didn't dare remove his pistol from its current position. If he made one wrong move he'd shoot his head off without a second thought.

"The name's Marcus," said the gunslinger as he brought his arms and above his head, "but you guys can call me...er...how about your killer?" Before the guards could comprehend what he said and fire, Marcus brought both of his arms down and pulled out a gun. He fired three quick shots, one for each and an extra one for the man asking the questions. Marcus smiled as he walked up to them and snatched the keys off of him. "Now...I'll just be helping myself to some of your bombs, if you don't mind."

A smile cracked on Marcus' face as he entered the armory. He saw everything he could possibly want. The swords and spears could be made into deadly shrapnel, he could salvage gunpowder from the guns, and for the armor...well, the armor would make a good case for his little home-made bomb. He couldn't help but think of the look on Edward's face when he found out that he had beaten him to the Devil Fruit. That punk kept bragging about he was Blackbeard's son and about how only he could eat two Devil Fruits! He would've killed him a long time ago if they weren't brothers...maybe today would be the day he finally he kills him.

* * *

><p>Trouble is a-brewing. Marcus' new bomb is sure to cause a stir at the Marine Base. Not to mention the fact that Boris is still capable of breathing despite Rina's massively powerful axe-kick to his head...oh, and Alexander is still locked up. I kind of forgot about him...oh, well! The arc is reaching its climax! Get ready for trouble abound!<p> 


	24. Chapter 24 Battle Atop the Mountain

**Battle Atop the Mountain!**

**An Explosion within the Marine Base!**

Boris quickly flung Rina across the field. Rina smashed into the rocks, sending small shards of stone flying. Boris stood up and dusted himself off, "bwa ha ha ha ha!" laughed Boris loudly as he approached the destroyed rock, "I gotta be honest...dat last one kind hurt me head. I guess me only option would be to...uh...what's da phrasing I'm lookin' fer...maybe...uh,oh, what the hell! I'm jus' gunna beat you up!" Boris bent down and charged forward once more sending his body rocketing towards the pile of shattered stones.

Rina sat up, just in time to see Boris' huge body come crashing forward. She quickly jumped up and spun to the side avoiding the powerful frontal blow just in the nick of time. Boris smashed into the side of the mountain. He shook his head free as he pushed himself out of and off of the mountain side. He looked over at Rina, his boar-like grin stretching from one side of his face to the other. "Good...it would've been borin' if you had died on me."

"Glad I'm not boring," gasped Rina as she tried to figure out a way to beat Boris and knock him out, before he pummels her and smashes his entire bulk into her. She couldn't believe that Boris was capable of surviving the last attack, she had put so much force behind it and the fall from the high heights could only have increased the impact even more...her leg hurt like hell from the impact, so it stood to reason that Boris' skill should've been cracked open from the attack, but he seemed pretty calm and collected. She was starting to doubt if any of her attacks could even affect him, much less take him down! She looked back over at Hayate, who was still collapsed from Boris' attack and knew in that instant she didn't have a choice...she would take him down no matter what!

Rina charged forward her chakrams shining in the light, "**Dance of the Chakram!" **Rina struck out with her chakram, intending to gouge Boris' arm wide open, but he anticipated such an attack and, using his arm's longer reach, smashed his open palm into Rina's abdomen forcing her back once more. Rina refuse to leave empty handed, though, so she quickly brought her chakram inward and sliced Boris' arm open as she was thrown backwards from his blow.

"Urgh!" whined Boris as he recoiled backwards from the pain, gripping his arm, trying to stop the bleeding as much as possible. Boris grunted as he removed his hand from the bleeding appendage only to witness another fresh spurt of blood from it. He narrowed his eyes over at Rina. The girl's determination was starting to get annoying...not to mention her pesky weapons...Boris sighed as he brought his body down for another full-body charge. He did not like fighting weapon users they made the fight boring in his opinion...Boris shook the useless thought from his head as he charged forward firing a powerful punch straight in front of him and at Rina.

Rina flipped backwards dodging the straight punch. As soon as her feet touched ground, she leapt forward, her hand gripping her chakram. "**Dance of the Waves!" **Rina brought her chakram upwards aimed at Boris' chin. Boris leaned backwards, dodging the initial blow. "Nice try!" shouted Rina as her body was brought into the air from her uppercut, she then struck out with her leg, kicking Boris' abdomen, which was currently stretched out from him leaning backwards. With his abdomen stretched out there was no give as the heel of her shoe smashed into him. The force knocked Boris' backwards and it even propelled Rina backwards and out of Boris' range of attacks.

Boris grunted as he balanced himself out and stood straight up, "Uh oh...I'mma getting' angry now! I'm gonna punch you in da face now!" shouted Boris as he charged forwards once more his entire body shuddering forward as he fired another punch aimed at Rina. Rina dropped to the ground, she then immediately went into a handstand bringing her foot upwards and catching Boris' chin with an upwards kick.

Boris nostrils flared as he stopped his charge and clamped his hands together as he brought them both downwards. They crashed into Rina sending her sprawling to the side. Rina cursed as she quickly jumped to the side, trying to distance herself even more. She didn't, no, she couldn't...she couldn't waste a second against this guy. She knew if she stumbled around on the ground for a second, Boris would launch an attack and she would take the worst of it. Knowing this her body was flowing with emergency strength.

Boris charged forward preparing another swinging arm attack as he closed in on Rina. Rina reacted, jumping into the air out of his swing's path, safely landing outside of the destructive attack. She charged forward and launched a single punch aimed at Boris' massive gut. The punch landed straight onto his gut. There was multiple waves as his fat adjusted to the powerful fist. Boris grunted, taking another panicked swing at Rina, but Rina jumped back avoiding it once again.

"Arrghhh!" screamed Boris as he brought his open palm forward and straight into the ground in front of him, missing Rina by a few feet. He ignored the missed strike and charge forward firing another straight punch aimed at Rina. Rina dodged it and charged forward launching a roundhouse kick at his cheek. The kick slammed into the side of his face. Boris stumbled backwards. There was a flash of light in his mind as the kick caused damage to his cranium. Boris grunted and breathed heavily from his nostrils.

"You wanna...give up now?" asked Rina, a mischievous smile on her face despite her gasping for breath. She knew Boris' own pride wasn't going to let him back down now. He'd probably just initiate another charge. She wasn't about to let Hayate's sacrifice be in vain, she'd nail this guy with everything she had the instant he dropped his guard. "No? Fine! **Dance of Thunder!". **Rina began punching the air straight in front of her warming up her body up even further for one final punch.

Boris stood up and approached Rina. He dropped his guard completely, both of his arms hanging loosely at his sides. He stood straight in front of Rina his body almost within her range, her ridiculous shadow-boxing technique ending only a couple of inches in front of him. "Hit me!"shouted Boris as he took another half-step forward, placing Rina's punches almost at a point where they became glancing blows on his gut.

"FINE!" shouted Rina as she took a step forward and propelled her right arm forward the force and weight of her entire body behind it as it came straight towards him. Rina's face filled with horror as she noticed Boris' hand move forward gripping her arm tightly. Rina let out a yelp as Boris prepared to throw her across the land once more. Rina panicked as Boris tossed her, Rina reached down and grabbed hold of Boris' sleeve.

Boris stretched his arm out, finishing his throw, but to his surprise Rina wasn't going anywhere. Her grip held fast as her nails dug into the cloth. The momentum of Boris' throw made Rina swing about, only her hands staying in the same place. Finally Rina let go, sending her body tumbling across the rocky ground. Neither she nor Boris wasted a second. Rina quickly jumped back to her feet and launched a punch at Boris, Boris charged forward as well intending to take advantage of Rina's temporary weakness. He brought his fist down upon her like he was chopping a tree.

Rina's speed surpassed Boris'. Her punch struck through immediately. Her punch slammed into Boris' chest, forcing him backwards. The recoil shot through Rina's body making her skid backwards. Boris' eyes went wide as he felt the shock transfer through his entire body. He doubled over, nearly falling to the floor. He breathed heavily as he tried to calm himself down, but couldn't. He was still capable of standing and of breathing, but anything more then that hurt like hell.

"**Holy War!"** screamed Rina as she closed in on Boris. Her twin chakram were both spinning around at high speeds, they disappeared into mere streaks of light. Rina closed in slicing into Boris' body, cutting his legs open, slicing through his arms, and slashing his torso. Rina stopped moving as her chakrams slowed down, and they quickly returned to normal.

Rina stood up. She breathed heavily as she turned around and faced Boris again. Boris had collapsed onto the ground, blood slowly started to seep from his body. Rina breathed heavily, the fight last longer then she'd like...and she had to use a technique that she didn't really like. But Hayate needed attention...and Alexander! Alexander needed help! She hadn't forgotten about him...Rina clamed down as she began to approach Hayate, she'd take care of Hayate while Boris was knocked out...then one Boris woke up, she'd ask him about Alexander. Rina was just about to sit down next to Hayate, when a loud explosion sounded in the distance.

(-at the Marine Base-)

Smoke and sirens filled the air. The Marines were immediately thrown into a state of panic and disorder. They were sent scrambling around the base, each and every one of them rushing to the site of the explosion. The explosion occurred in the West Wing, near the armory. They already knew the best case scenario was that just all of their weapons would've been destroyed...their wooden spears burned to cinders...their swords melted down due to the heat...and their guns blown to pieces from the inside.

They were just hoping that the worst case scenario didn't come true. For all they knew the bomb could've completely destroyed the building and all of the nearby buildings. It could've killed several soldiers and even more civilians, who just happened to be visiting or outside the walls. Not to mention there was probably a fire. It was probably rampaging wildly engulfing more and more of the building.

The gate was near to the armory and probably took some of the blast. It would've been the worst there. The gate guard peered out over the ledge of his booth. His eyes were wide open, his ears were throbbing from the sound of the explosion, he was disoriented. The world was spinning around him, twisting upsides down and then spiraling out of control. His right hand quickly grabbed and supported his head as he tried to clear it of the thoughts and steady himself. His left was disabled, the shock wave from the blast had slammed his left shoulder into the table of his booth. It was swollen and looked terrible.

Akane was laying on the outside of the booth. Her body was thrown backwards, without anything like a table to catch her she had flown. Akane struggled to get back to her feet. She was breathing heavily the explosion had really shaken her and made her legs collapse beneath her. Standing had become complicated. She considered calling for help, but the only other person she knew who was around was the stupid gate guard who probably wouldn't help her out no matter how much she called. Her eyelids felt heavy as they slowly fluttered to a close.

Kane approached her from behind. He was tightly gripping the vial of liquid he had received from the

member of Taka. He looked down upon Akane, his chance for revenge had already appeared. He smirked as he grabbed hold of her leg and began to drag her, "I hope you wake up soon. I can't wait to kill you and crush your hopes." Kane smirked as he left the Marine Base in the distance.

The Taka member, the one dressed in a white suit appeared and walked up to the Marine Base. He approached the old gate, which was now busted up front the explosion. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small Den-Den Mushi and began to talk into it, "everything is proceeding according to plan. Let's see if the boy is actually capable of eating two Devil Fruits."

"Good, good," replied the Den-Den Mushi as its eyes became narrowed and its pupils were replaced with black slits. "If he can handle two Devil Fruits then our research would be complete. And that would place us one step closer to creating the ultimate bio-weapon. Pluto, Poseidon, and Neptune be damned!"

The man in the white suit smiled as he pulled his white hat down over his eyes, "I'll continue with the observation of this 'Project'. I'll presume that the other 'Project' are going along well?" asked the man in the white suit.

"...we ran into the several dead ends...but we have had a new breakthrough in Project H," responded the man, dejectedly with a questioning tone. "I'm starting to fear that our 'Projects' will be uncovered soon...some Marines have started to dig there noses into our business. If I'm not mistaken they are on your island as we speak...I assume you'll keep on eye on them as well."

The man in the white suit smiled and nodded, "of course. I'll report to you at the end of the day. Until then...over and out."

* * *

><p>Akane was knocked out by the bomb's blast and soon she will be forced to fight the new and probably improved Kane due to that drink! Question is what is that drink? And then finally what exactly is the man in the white suit talking about? The ultimate bio-weapon? Not to mention that Alexander and Rina are now both on Taka's radar. Will they be able to hold out on their own? Then finally what the heck is the gate guard doing right now?<p>

Also, due to a sudden thought on my part...I decided to add a 'Justice' part to the OC form. So, now I can know what brand of Justice your OC's exercise whether it is 'Lazy Justice' like Aokiji or 'Extreme Justice' like Akainu. This will just help me better represent your characters in action.


	25. Chapter 25 Rina to the Rescue

**Rina to the Rescue!**

"A dog went into the kitchen and stole a slice of bread," sung Alexander as he played with the cups he had collected, swirling them around in circles making trails in the dirt. He had been trapped all day and even worse, now his only partner in conversation had disappeared to use the bathroom...only thing worse then that was the fact that when he returned chances are someone like Boris would be talking about using the bathroom. He shivered at the thought.

Alexander sighed as he looked around him at the bland room. The table had been cleared of Boris' rather exorbitant meal. The only thing that even hinted on his disgusting meal was the awful aroma of mixed meats that still lingered in the air. It was another thing that made Alexander dread his extended stay here. Sadly his tunnel out of here was taking a long time. Digging a tunnel through solid rock with a spoon sounded a lot easier in his mind...but it turns out that it is really, really hard.

"Alexander!" shouted a woman's voice. It filled the small room quickly. Alexander leapt up from his seat. Either Rina had arrived and decided to save him or Boris was really, really, really creepy. Alexander's only hope right now would be to pray and pray that it was Rina.

"Alexander?" called the voice out once more. Alexander perked up, jumping to his feet. He yelled loudly, trying to attract her attention. Rina ran into the room, Hayate was in her arms right now. "Alexander?" she ran up to the bars and met with Alexnader face-to-face. "Are you okay?" she asked as she grasped the iron bars in her hand.

"Oh, thank god it is you," shouted Alexander. The images of Boris talking in a high-pitched voice still ringing in his head...sadly as he was currently looking at Rina, he was putting Boris into Rina's clothes subconsciously. Alexander crumpled to the ground, his stomach churning uncontrollably due to the imagery. "Please...help me..."

"Right!" shouted Rina as she looked about the room. There wasn't a single key hook in the room. "Uh...Alexander, do you know where they kept the key?" Alexander shook his head in the cave. Rina moaned, "shit...any ideas?"

"No worries!" shouted Alexander as he produced a spoon from his coat pocket, "just grab a spoon from the table and we can dig into the cave wall and free me that way!" Alexander pointed over to the table briefly before returning his attention to the wall and began digging into the wall once more with his spoon. He had renewed vigor as he dug into the rocky wall with his small metal piece of silverware. With just one person it would've taken forever to dig into the wall, before with two...maybe three if Hayate got better...wait, what happened to Hayate? "What happened to Hayate?"

Rina looked down into her arms, "um...Boris hit him..." said Rina as she reexamined Hayate's status, if Alexander noticed it must be something severe...she shook her head free of her thoughts, "anyways, your plan is terrible! I mean digging a hole in the wall of a cave? That's something that doesn't even work in books! I mean can't you just break down the bars with your iron fists!"

"Break down the bars?" said Alexander in disbelief, "do you know how hard these things are? Besides, I have no idea how much support these things give the cave...I bust them wide open, I may cause a cave-in! And I have no time to dig myself out of a cave-in!" Alexander began rapidly flinging dirt behind him, trying to clear the wall.

"But you have enough time to dig a hole in the wall?" shouted Rina, "that's just ridiculous!" she stomped her foot on the ground, "I mean come on! There is no way you could do that! We need to think of a new plan! A smart plan! Are you sure that you never saw the key? Not even when they locked you up? Or when they unlocked you to let you go out and use the bathroom?"

"Not when they locked me up," said Alexander as he stopped digging and threw the spoon on the ground. He turned around and faced Rina, "and they haven't let me out to use the bathroom, yet, thanks for reminding me! Boris is too chicken to let me out and Edward hasn't been back yet! He probably already waged an attack on the Marine Base!"

"What?" asked Rina, "attack the Marine Base?" She looked back behind her...she never heard of a mountain bandit attacking the Marine Base. There were plenty of pirates stupid enough to attack a Marine Base, she had heard of a group of pirates that recently attacked one...the one they had just established at Reverse Mountain...those pirates actually managed to destroy it. The official report only recorded a total of six pirates breaking in...then there was prison break-out where multiple pirates fled. Not a single one of the original pirates that broke in were caught...good news is several Revolutionaries were caught. Luckily, there is now a Shichibukai chasing after those pirates to bring them to justice...

Alexander snapped her back into the current situation as he continued, "yeah, the Mountain Bandits for some reason believes that their boss can consume two Devil Fruits. So they are breaking into the Marine Base in order to obtain a Devil Fruit the Marine Captain is supposedly stashing there." Rina nodded as she took it all in.

"Anyways, we should p-probably just focus on breaking you out of t-there for now," said Rina as she looked back around her. She was growing more and more nervous as time continued...Boris was tough for her to beat and he wasn't even the boss of this group of bandits...she now saw why they were confident enough to attack a Marine Base, "so you n-never saw them lock you in?" she reiterated, "maybe...maybe you can kick the door in or s-something..."

"Okay, cool!" shouted Alexander as he strode over to the door of the cage. He had read somewhere that if you wanted to kick a door in you aimed right above the locking mechanism...whether or not that was true was a different story. Alexander lifted his leg up and prepared to launch a kick. He slammed his leg into the door. The door shook in its space. "Crap...that didn't work..." Alexander sighed. "Why don't you try?"

"Yeah, sure," said Rina. She highly doubted that if her captain, who was literally made of iron, couldn't bash a door in that she definitely couldn't. She walked over to the door, she brought her leg up and prepared to kick, but noticed something. "Hey, Alexander, have you tried opening the door, yet?" She looked at the lock on the door, it looked...loose.

"Yeah," replied Alexander as he slumped down in a corner of the room, "and no matter how hard I pushed it wouldn't open. I mean, no matter how hard...besides you just saw me kick it...if it wasn't locked it would've opened then, wouldn't it?" Alexander sighed as he continued to play with his three remaining cups in the dirt.

"Okay, so you pushed it and kicked it...what about pulling it?" asked Rina as she poked the door gently with her index finger and watched it swing open with ease. Alexander sat in his corner of the cage for a few more seconds staring at her with a dumbfounded expression. He didn't understand it at all...Rina brought her palm into her own face... "why didn't you try pulling on it?"

"That never works!" shouted Alexander, "generally if you can't open a door with brute force, you should just give up." Alexander stood up. Something in the back of his head had been nagging him through out this entire time...something that Specter had said was ringing in his head.

"Oh, but digging a hole in the wall with a spoon does!" shouted Rina as her voice rose at Alexander. She just couldn't believe the depths to Alexander's stupidity. She was wondering at this point if even Alexander believed that half of the things that he did would work. At this point she was seriously starting to worry in his sanity and intelligence.

Finally, Specter's words popped back into Alexander's mind. As Alexander thought about it, it started to make sense why she was mad at him. He hadn't called Rina by anything other then her name and he certainly hadn't tried to kiss her...of course, no matter how Alexander thought about it it seemed like a bad idea, but he didn't know much about girls and he trusted Specter (as he had yet to give him a reason why not to). "I am so glad that you are my wife, Rina!" said Alexander as he hugged her.

"Oh, yeah, me...wait? What did you say?" shouted Rina as she pushed Alexander off of her. "What did you just call me?" She looked at him bewildered. She regretted it almost the minute she did so. Alexander had puckered his lips and was moving in for the kiss. "HAYATE!"

(-at the Marine Base-)

Marcus crept through the Marine Base as stealthily as his clunky work boots would allow him. He wanted to avoid as much trouble as possible. The bomb would fundamentally divide the Marine Forces in half...Edward would probably slaughter another quarter of them, all that left was for him to waltz in steal the Devil Fruit from Edward, plug a bullet into his ugly mug and he'd be a new all-powerful pirate bent on conquering the Grand Line. Only thing he needed now was something bigger and better, a new weapon and the like.

A loud noise exploded in front of him, the shock wave from the blow forced him backwards. He was thrown forcefully to the ground. He grunted in pain as he turned himself over and stood back up. He produced his gun and looked around him, trying to ascertain who attacked him. He looked up and saw Specter holding his crossbow-like weapon, aiming it at him. Specter smiled, "would you look at what the rat dragged in? I know its supposed to be cat...but I don't think any cat would be able to stand that hideous face of yours."

"YOU!" shouted Marcus as he fired a bullet at Specter, he heard the bullet as it clanged off of the walls, changing directions with each ricochet. Finally the bullet embedded itself directly in front of Specter's shoe. "I remember that same lame-ass face and even that comment from our last raid! You are that freakin' insane man that blew us up!" Marcus brought himself up to a stand as he repositioned his gun aiming for Specter's head. "If it wasn't for you our last raid would've succeeded and we'd still have all 50 of our men! But no! Now we are down to just me and my three idiot brothers!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure I didn't cause your men to abandon you," commented Specter, "I'd say that's because you didn't have any women on your crew. Men can only stay on a crew for so long before they want a woman around. I mean, hack if it wasn't for the women I see on the job I probably would've quit years ago."

"Nice to know you have such an amazing sense of duty," mocked Marcus as he began to walk around, trying to put more distance in between him and the crazy man in front of him. He had no interest in fighting with him, especially considering the fact that a fight with Specter would only slow him down and he had to meet up with Edward before he ate the fruit. Edward said he wouldn't eat it until he was with him, Boris, and Kane...but Marcus was planning on double-crossing him, who would say that Edward wasn't thinking the same?

"Gonna bail?" said Specter with a smirk, "I mean I wouldn't blame you at all. I am pretty fear-inspiring, not to mention the fact that you are a chicken! Bawk Bawk bawk!" shouted Specter as he placed his thumbs into his armpits and began to impersonate a chicken, trying to tempt Marcus into staying and fighting.

Marcus was boiling mad. As the fight continued he couldn't help but remember the fight with him. Specter hadn't changed at all. He was just as annoying all those years ago. The images of their fight kept running through his mind as he recalled what had happened. Remembering that night all those years ago and watching Specter doing the chicken dance only made him want to kill him all the more.

* * *

><p>Alexander has learned a very important lesson today. Never kiss a girl without her consent first...I think almost all of us has learned that lesson the hard way...calling a girl your wife is also a bad move. Yup, that's why I write these stories, not to make people laugh or engage them, but to teach them valuable life lessons. Of course, Alexander isn't the only one in a tough spot. Specter is facing off against an insane gunslinger and Akane has been kidnapped! Not to mention that with every passing second Edward draws closer to the Devil Fruit!<p>

Also for those of you who do as a matter of fact read my Saga of the Infinity Pirates, you will notice I referred to it when Rina was talking about the pirates that attacked the Marine Base (yes, that was Mikoto and the gang). Also, the song Alexander is singing at the beginning of this chapter is the same song Mikoto sung in Chapter 2.


	26. Chapter 26 Back to the Base

**Back to the Base!**

**Specter Versus Marcus!**

Alexander slumped behind Rina, dragging his feet behind him through the rocky terrain, kicking up dust. Of course, every so often Rina would throw Alexander a backwards glance, just to make sure he didn't get lost, but other then that the two had no forms of communication going on in between them. Hayate was well enough to walk now at the very least and he held a prideful stride in front of Rina, where despite his ignorance of what had happened between the two, it appeared as if he was joining with Rina and completely ignoring Alexander along with Rina.

Alexander had thought about talking to Rina several times along the way, but each and every time he was about to Rina flashed him another cold and dark look that made Alexander think twice. It was as if she could read his mind and had to continually remind him that speaking would result in certain death...more importantly his death. Then again, at least Rina acknowledged his existence. Hayate continued merrily along his way as if Alexander doesn't exist and he never did. As far as Hayate was concerned this was just leisurely walk in the mountains with Rina that took a wrong turn.

Finally, Rina decided to break the silence, "I am going to talk to you as Lieutenant to a Commander... not as a friend to a friend. I need information about these Sons of Blackbeard fellows...I have no particular for anything else you can offer, so I'm going to ask you questions and you are going to answer them. Nothing more and nothing less, understand?"

"Can I just say one..." began Alexander, but another backwards killing glance from Rina forced Alexander to quickly close his mouth. "Yeah, understood," Alexander said solemnly as he continued to shuffle behind her slowly. They climbed over a mountain before Rina resumed conversation.

"How many people in these Sons of Blackbeard?" she asked.

Alexander thought carefully as he recalled each and every single one of them, "there is four, including Edward, the boss, and Boris who was keeping an eye on me in my cage." Alexander stopped as he tried to recall the missions of each and every one of the bandits that had imprisoned him. He remembered that Edward and the gunslinger had both attacked and charged down into the Marine Base, Boris was assigned to guard duty, and then there was the guy with the sword, whose name escaped Alexander at the moment...Alexander was pretty sure he was assigned to attacking and taking down Rina.

Alexander paused as he considered this. He stopped in his tracks and thought about the importance of this piece of information. Rina was probably pretty safe due to her ability to take down Boris, but Alexander still couldn't stop thinking about it. He looked up about to tell her about the order to take her head, but he noticed that she was standing a few feet in front of him with an angry look on her face staring at him. She was not happy about being slowed down while they were on their way to a very important mission. Then it hit Alexander, the cure-all that Veri Fresh had mentioned!

"You are very pretty," said Alexander with a smile as he looked at Rina. Rina frowned upon and just turned around, ignoring the comment, but mostly ignoring him. Alexander's head hung in front of him as he began to walk slowly behind her again.

"Any ideas on how they are going to attack the Marine Base?" asked Rina as she quickened her pace, intending to make up for the time that Alexander had just caused them to lose.

"Well, seeing as how they didn't lock my cage," began Alexander, but paused due to the wording. 'My cage' it made it sound wrong and made him sound incredibly stupid...he sighed as he decided to refocus on the actual problem at hand, Rina, "since they didn't lock THE cage they can't be too smart...I'd say a full-on frontal attack with just two people...doesn't this Marine Base have a captain? Shouldn't he be able to defend it with ease?"

"Well, not all Marine Captains are active...and even fewer of them are smart..." said Rina with a mean glance at Alexander. "I heard from Akane that this one tends to go on vacations a lot to other islands. He has them all disguised as business trips, but nobody among the Marine Base believes it, but since they can't prove it...you know..."

"Looks like fairness and justice doesn't exist in even the Marines," muttered Alexander as he remembered what his old teacher had said about the Marines being merchants that sold a pretty word, but nothing more. After being in the Marines for a couple of years...he had seen what he had meant...Alexander meant to keep all of this inside and not worry Rina, but he let loose a subconscious and depressed sigh.

Rina turned about to see what the sigh was about and only saw Alexander slumped over, shuffling his feet slowly and almost in a automatic fashion like a soldier walking in a military line. He wasn't fully conscious of what he was doing...he was just doing it. Rina wanted to stay mad at him as what he did was fully unforgivable, but its hard to stay mad at someone who looked so depressed. Rina put her hand on Alexander's shoulder and patted him quietly.

Alexander looked up, startled. He saw Rina smiling and guiding him forward. Alexander sighed as the two of them continued their walk. It was funny, despite being together all this time Alexander never looked at Rina's eyes, according to his master, staring at someone's eyes was like a challenge from one animal to another...but now that he did, he noticed she had aquamarine colored eyes...and in that moment he had to wonder...if he had tried to kiss her now like Specter said what it have been any different from a few minutes ago when he had failed?

He shook the thought from his head as he remembered that Rina specifically hated him for trying to kiss her and calling her his wife (as to why, he still did not fully understand). He instead focused on Hayate. The little dog ignoring the fact that Rina had forgiven Alexander and continued to ignore Alexander as it walked on its way. Alexander was starting to think that Hayate just didn't like him regardless.

(-With Specter-)

Specter stood opposite of Marcus. Both of them with their guns drawn and taking careful aim at the other one. Both of them staring at the other one and at the weapons each possessed. Marcus looked at Specter's crossbow and sized it up, while the ammo he used was unconventional and the weapon itself had some slight modifications done to it...it was still a crossbow. It could only fire one shot at a time and rapid-fire was not its strong suit. The only thing that left a question mark in Marcus' head was the ammo...was it the same grenade Specter had used last time? Or was it an improved piece of weaponry with more omph or a special effect? Rushing in now after all of his careful thinking would only be a bad move for Marcus, he had to careful examine his opponent's weapon.

Specter glanced at Marcus' weapon as far as more interesting weapon went, Specter's took the cake. Marcus' gun was a new six-cylinder revolver. Six shots and it was out...and Marcus had to stop shooting and reload...a big opening...while Specter had to reload a lot, but his reloading process was simpler, easier, and faster...the big difference would be whether or not Specter could last through all six Marcus' shots to see him reload.

Specter was the first to shoot. He took aim with his crossbow sending one of his grenades flying forth aimed at Marcus. Marcus dodged it and watched the small capsule crash and explode into the wall behind him. Marcus quickly righted himself, bringing himself up from the ground and into a kneeling position. He aimed his gun at Specter, but decided against upon seeing that Specter had already dropped another grenade into his crossbow and was awaiting Marcus' shot. Marcus dropped his gun to his side, giving up on getting a shot off. Marcus unconsciously bit his lip as he watched Specter jump back furthering the distance in between them.

Marcus was impressed with Specter's gun to say the least. Judging from the last shot its range was pretty good, despite the fact that it was only a crossbow that was shooting moderately sized containers of explosives. He wouldn't have had believed that an ancient relic like a crossbow was capable of doing it...but yet here he was watching a man walk about with a single crossbow launching powerful and deadly capsules. It wasn't a mass-produced piece of junk like most guns...but then again neither was his.

Marcus charged off towards Specter. As powerful as his launcher was, it was just as big. Unlike Marcus' small gun Specter needed more room to maneuver the hulking mass of the crossbow. That was the reason why Specter had jumped backwards, a preemptive strike put as much distance as he could in between them as quick as possible therefore Marcus had to spend more time later on to close the gap. Specter fired a shot off at Marcus, the small little ball of explosive flew through the air directly at Marcus. Marcus grunted, he lifted his gun and fired twin shots. The first one would cause the ball to either explode or deviate and the second would have a straight to Specter.

The bullet and the bomb exploded as soon as they came into contact with one another. A loud boom went off as Marcus flinched from the noise his eardrums injured from the sound. He kept his eyes open, though, despite the harsh light determined to keep his eyes on Specter. Marcus grunted as the smoke began to clear from the explosion. Specter was across from him in the room. He still had a stupid smirk on his face as he looked at Marcus, but he had a hole in his shirt that was singed from Marcus' second shot.

"Damn," uttered Specter as he examined his coat, "I really liked this shirt and now would you look at it...you ruined it...and trust me that bullet hole ain't just going to wash out of it..." Specter joked as he shook his head, "I guess I better get serious or you are going to ruin all of my clothing, aren't you?" Specter chuckled as he grabbed his goggles and pulled them over his eyes, preparing to continue the shoot-out.

"Before we continue I should ought level with you and tell you a little about my gun," stated Specter as he lifted his crossbow up and into the air. He slid another one of the spheres into place. "The ammo I fire is a special form of weaponry I designed, I call it a Pop Grenade! The crossbow is just something I designed in order to properly fire and utilize my ammo...so, just watch out for my ammo rather then my crossbow, cool?"

Marcus raised his one eyebrow as he looked over at him, "and why are you telling me this?" He couldn't believe that the man was plain out explaining his weaponry in the middle of a fight... "wouldn't it be better if you just kept your weaponry secrets to yourself? I mean why explain your weaponry to your opponent?"

"If I didn't explain it then this fight would be over with too quickly and we wouldn't be able to have this nice talk, now would we?" asked Specter as he brought his crossbow around and fired another shot. The small green Pop Grenade sailed through the air and smashed into the wall behind Marcus. Marcus brought his arms up to protect his eyes from the debris caused from the explosion. He let out a grunt as he opened his eyes only to see a second Pop Grenade flying at him. Marcus dove forward, barely in the nick time allowing the grenade to sail above his head and smashed into the wall.

Marcus pivoted around and produced his gun, firing another shot aiming at Specter's head. Specter dodged to the left and felt the bullet graze the air around him. Marcus wasn't about to let the opportunity slip away as Specter still hadn't reloaded his crossbow, he let loose a second shot at Specter. The bullet blasting towards Specter. Specter dove to the left while he grabbed a new pop grenade from his ammo jacket. He quickly slid it in and swung it about taking aim at Marcus.

Specter remembered this guy from the last time they had tried to attack the Marine Base, even then the Marine Captain had been gone on one of his missions...Specter remembered that day as something different as that was when Specter had earned his nickname, Mr. Kamikaze...it would be a while before Specter forgot that day.

* * *

><p>This was absolutely not what I was planning...I was planning on it being all about Specter's past...and how he earned his dreaded nickname, Mr. Kamikaze...but...no, I slipped up. Anyways, on to the next case...I apologize to all of my readers who disliked the whole moment between Alexander and Rina...it just kind of came out while I was typing...so, yeah...it...probably won't happen again...I personally don't really think they make a good couple...<p>

Also, for those of you who do not read my other story, Saga of the Infinity Pirates, I have midterms and as a result a lot of studying and projects I got to do, so don't be surprised if I don't update...for up to four weeks...okay? (Hopefully, it won't be THAT bad...but you never know).


	27. Chapter 27 Specter's Workshop

**The Workshop of Specter!**

**Say Hello to Mr. Kamikaze!**

The Marine Captain had left for an overseas visit once again. He had gone several in the past year alone and each and every single time he had come back, he came back with no business, less money, and even less respect from the Marines who actually did leg work. The only thing he did when he returned was lock himself up in his room with the only words leaving his lips being, "whatever happens off of the island stays off of the island."

The Marines still held out hope that the main reason behind these recent disappearances were to help them out with the building while the walls and gate were nearly new and in good shape the actual defenses of the island were lacking. No guard towers to keep a look-out on the sea for pirates and only one or two cannons placed on the island to shoot down the incoming ships. Whenever a pirate would land they would be stuck charging in every man and woman rallying with cheap guns to try and chase them away...they of course managed...but it had been rough.

This lack of offensive firepower and defensive weaponry, created a huge demand in weaponry on the island especially since the gem mines on the island made a desirable haul for any pirate. With their weapon supply dwindling...things seemed problematic. But there was one constant interest of the island's inhabitants...a young Marine named Specter.

Specter often times locked himself up in his room and the only noise you would hear from him would be a loud noise, often an explosion resulting from a backfire of one of his weapons. Lately he was working on a new form of grenade that held the eyes of the entire Marine body. He openly declared that it would be superior then all of the weapons the Marines had stored in the armory would be rendered useless in the wake of his new weapon.

Specter suddenly called it a day. As hard as he tried he couldn't fix the problem...he couldn't create enough force to trigger the explosion...the outside shell that he was using was to create the grenade wasn't taking enough damage when he threw it and even when he fired it from a sling shot (a prototype for the firing device) it didn't put enough force behind the shot to shatter the shell and start the ignition. He sighed as he noted the necessity for the grenade to explode...if it didn't do that he definitely wouldn't be a worthwhile weapon. Specter sighed as he headed down to the cafeteria.

Once there he ordered a Teriyaki steak and a glass of cola. He often ordered this meal when he needed something in order to speed-up his thinking. It was his favorite meal and since he highly doubted the fact that he had eaten anything in the past...four to six days...they all disappeared into a gunpowder and energy drink daze. The days in his weapon production state didn't seem all too real, but according to the people he had bumped into on his way down...it was a week later than he thought he was...

He reached over and hazily picked up his fork...or spoon...maybe a knife...in his sleep-deprived state it was difficult...if not impossible to tell the difference. He shook his head clear as he looked down at his hand which had a firm grip on a knife. He sighed as he began to dig into his steak with both the vigor and hunger a bear would have after hibernation.

Just as Specter finished off his drink the noise of the local Marine alarm bell sounded. All of the soldiers in the cafeteria stood up with a panicked look on there faces. Chances are this had occurred throughout the entire Marine Base. Even Specter jumped up from his seat. With the incredible amount of pirates who continuously attacked them they had never had the need for the drills. This was the real thing once more. The group in the cafeteria immediately dispersed each to their own individually assigned location.

Specter began to race to his location, when he recalled his room. He had left in unlocked as he believed he would go right back there after his meal...but with the alarm sounding he couldn't. It was bad news, his room had plenty of weapons in it and even more weapon parts that he had taken apart to try to get a grip on a new and better weapon...if the invading pirates broke into his room...well, walked in since it wasn't locked they really wouldn't have broken into it...anyways, if they walked into his room they would have plenty of weapons not to mention his new experimental weapon, the Pop Grenade!

Specter did a complete 180 and began to rush against the flow of the people charging down the path at him trying to get past him and to the outside in order to prevent the assault. Specter gritted as he charged through the crowd. A nearly infinite amount of people charged at him, several of them crashing into him or at the very least sent their shoulders into his causing him to spin and become disoriented, he nearly fell crashing to the floor several times, but each time he quickly caught himself and regained his balance and continued his charge through the halls.

Specter barged into his room and looked at the papers and files he had that were scattered all about in his room. They didn't really contain vital information, just detailed sketches and designs for his Pop Grenades and their launcher, but seeing as how the Pop Grenade didn't work at all...they weren't going to be at all dangerous in the wrongs hand...his only fear was hat if someone like Vegapunk or Void Furrow got their hands on it, they would steal his credit and get all the glory for creating a new perfect weapon...then again in a couple of months he wouldn't have to worry about Void taking credit for anything ever again. It was a shame that they would be losing his great mind though...but what had to be done had to be done.

Specter sighed as he shuffled through the papers. As far as weapon research went Void Furrow was considered a top mind...he expanded immensely on all of Vegapunk's works as well as created some of his own unique weaponry. Specter stuffed his sheets regarding his weapon into the top cabinet drawer of his desk as his mind continued to wander towards Void Furrow's more famous pieces of work. The weaponry that Void Furrow created seemed odd, especially for a member of the Marines. Void Furrow's weaponry was always built around causing mass devastation...Void Furrow's idea was to create a weapon that could end a war with one blow...Specter sighed as he didn't quite have a dream, for now he would be content with just finishing his Pop Grenades

Specter was so engrossed with his thoughts that he didn't even hear the footsteps behind him. However, he was suddenly shocked back to reality as he spun about and produced one of his small pistols and aimed it at the intruders. Behind him stood four men, one of them as tall as a mountain dressed like a mountain bandit...the other two were smaller and better dressed, they looked like normal civilians, but the gun and sword in their hand told otherwise. Finally, the fourth one was all the way in the back behind the other three almost as if using them as human shields...he was dressed like a standard and typical pirate captain...it was obvious from the way he carried himself that he considered himself to be the boss of the group and the best thing on the whole entire island.

Specter glanced upwards as the sign they carried behind themselves to declare their obvious superiority. However, Specter was a bit confused as to the wording...the Suns of Blackbeard? He recalled many texts reciting the over-all superiority of Blackbeard over all other pirates...many of them even stated that he was better them the late pirate king and that his defeat at the hands of the Marines was a much more monumental occasion then the pirate king's...but that was a different matter. First off, 'Suns'? That wording didn't sit right with him as he read and it occurred to him that it could've been a misspelled 'Sons', but all the official Marine documentations stated that there isn't a child that could've been conceived by Blackbeard...so that obviously wasn't it. He spoke up thinking about the sign rather then the weapons aimed at him, "what is up with the sign?"

"Let me guess," started the proud and annoyingly pompous man in the back, "it struck fear into your heart as you read it. I mean the sons of Blackbeard? 'What fearsome and powerful beings they must be' that must be what is running through your head right now!" He lifted his arms up and above his head while having them outstretched, "well, you are correct! We are the most fearsome and powerful warriors in this known universe and we intend to take over this island and use its crystal mines to fund our plans for world domination! Gwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Specter grimaced as he listened to the man spout his nonsense. He honestly had no idea of how the other three could stand such stupidity. The other ones appeared to be much stronger...two of them were wielding weapons and the third one was at least twice, probably three times, the guy's size...it was amazing that they still listened to his orders much less listened to his boring background story. Specter distracted his gaze trying to find something else other than this boring guy's boring story. His eyes rested on his desk, more precisely what was laying on his desk. His most recently constructed Pop Grenade...

Specter glanced over at his invention. The other man who was holding a gun at Specter noticed him averting his eyes. "What's that?" he asked as he approached him never letting his gun leave Specter's head. He approached the little round sphere that sat on the desk. He picked it up and held it in his hand. "Heavier than it looks," he observed.

"What is it, Marcus?" asked the man with the sword as he came up closer. He let his sword swing down to his side, figuring Marcus had it covered with his sword. They exchanged the small grenade between them. The man lifted it up to his nose and sniffed it, "it smells like gunpowder..." he pulled it back away from his eyes and examined it from a distance, "ay! Boris check this out see if you can figure this out." He tossed it over to the mountain of the man, Specter flinched expecting it to go off as soon as it made contact with Boris' thick hand. He let out a brief sigh when it didn't.

"Hmmm...ain't like a weapon I eva' saw," spoke Boris as he rolled it about in his hand. He looked it over... "hey, hey, hey! How about we just toss dis at someone, eh? Just find someone strollin' about and chuck dis at dem and watch dem explode?"

That was it. Specter was hoping to get out of this without any injury, but he didn't have a choice now. He wasn't about to let his weapon be used like that. He flipped out, striking out with his leg into Boris' hand. Boris hand was yanked into the air, the Pop Grenade forced out of it and into the air. The small spherical grenade fell straight down onto the ground. Specter braced himself, bringing himself straight down into the ground and into the fetal position, trying to protect himself from the imminent blast. The Pop Grenade smashed onto the ground...and nothing happened.

The gang of bandits all looked at Specter, who was looking foolish as he dove to the ground to protect himself from a ball dropping? Boris grunted and grabbed his struck hand with his other one, "did you see dat? He struck me! I say we kill 'im!" Boris roared loudly. He stepped forward, bringing his foot up into the air and straight down, oblivious to the grenade that was still laying on the ground. He brought his foot, placing all of his weight onto it and onto the Pop Grenade. The small grenade exploded, sending everybody in the room flying all over...all of them were knocked out.

Specter woke up about a week later. His head spinning. After that day the entire Marine base was basically destroyed and in complete chaos. The front gate was bashed down...apparently the four bandits that broke in went on a rampage with some fellow bandits and knocked several Marines out and even more of them were reported killed. Specter should've considered himself lucky that not only did he survive the blast of his grenade, but he also managed to defeat them through pure luck...but that's not how the rest of the Marine Base saw.

Originally the true story circulated that the bandit accidentally stepped on it, that evolved to Specter accidentally stepping on it...which Specter wasn't too happy about...but the story continued to evolve from there. From there apparently Specter had intentionally stepped on the grenade trying to make it explode on purpose...which made Specter out to be some sort of hero. He would've loved it if the story stopped changing right then and there...but it didn't...it took one last turn for the worst. Apparently, Specter bit into it and three others...trying to make them all explode, taking each and every one of the bandits down with him. This cemented his nickname for all eternity...he was forever known as Mr. Kamikaze.

* * *

><p>Another story down! Mr. Kamikaze, I mean Specter...yeah, Specter's backstory done. This has been the hardest thing for me to do...whenever I planned on writing this I always ended writing something else...Anyways, now the remaining fights are coming...Specter versus Marcus, Akane versus Kane (I hate how those names are so similar...I really should've planned that out better...) and then the big fight between Alexander and Edward...but I bet what all of you are really thinking about is the Taka member dressed in white? What happened to him? We'll never know.<p> 


	28. Chapter 28 A High Action Gunfight

**A High Action Gunfight!**

**Mr. Kamikaze's Last Stand!**

Specter leapt upward avoiding another dangerous shot from Marcus. Marcus noticed this as being his chance. Marcus pursued in deeper, carefully keeping count of how many bullets he had left...he wasn't liking how many shots he had wasted at just trying to defeat Specter. He produced his gun and fired an upwards shot at Specter. Specter grimaced as he brought his Pop Grenade Launcher down and fired it. The bullet and Pop Grenade collided in mid-air, closer to Specter then he would've liked. The explosion forced Specter down and away. Specter collided with the ground and grunted as he tried to pick himself up. He glanced over his shoulder at Marcus, who was currently hurriedly trying to stuff bullets into his revolver.

Specter smirked as he brought his Pop Grenade launcher back and quickly loaded another shot, not wanting to waste a second. He fired it as soon as he felt it fall into place. The cross bow made a loud snapping sound. Marcus heard it and instead of turning to see what it was or where it was aiming, instinctively dodged it. He dove to the ground in front of him, a few moments later he was thankful that he did as he heard the loud sound of the Pop Grenade exploding as it came into contact with the wall behind him.

Marcus spun around and closed his revolver up, he wasn't able to fully load it up, but he managed to get more bullets into it and for that he was thankful. He quickly pulled the trigger with his gun lined right up with Specter's head. Specter lifted the crossbow up to his head to block the shot...a stupid move. The bullet hit the crossbow, forcing the heavy metal weapon backwards, slamming it into his head. Specter groaned as he brought the crossbow back down and aimed it at Marcus. Marcus was already mid-charge intending to get as close as possible to Specter during his moment of stupidity. Marcus fired twin shots, sending both of the bullets forward almost in a straight line for Specter's heart.

Specter grunted as he dodged to the side and felt one bullet skim his side and the other one caused a light breeze that he felt indicating that it was closer to comfort then he would've wanted. Specter quickly reached down and loaded another Pop Grenade. He brought it up and pointed it at Marcus. "Its funny...I can't help but remember the first time we met. The same weapon that spoiled your attack last time is the same thing that is going to spoil it this time...you must hate my Pop Grenade."

"I hate your big mouth more!" grunted Marcus through closed teeth. "I should've shot you the first chance I had back then...I should've screwed Edward and his stupid orders! 'Don't shoot unless I tell you to shoot' he said, 'I am the boss of this gang' he said! I should've shot him the first time he dared to order me around! He was always mother's favorite! He was always the precious baby of the family! He's only alive still as I thought of him like a brother! After I shoot you, I'm going to shoot him! Maybe I'll shoot Kane and Boris after that even! They all deserve to die! They never gave me..." A Pop Grenade whizzed by him to shut him up.

Specter smiled as he loaded another Pop Grenade, "my, my, my...do you have an inferiority complex or what? I mean, I've known plenty of people in my day and not very many of them are like you...I mean wanting to kill your own brother simply because his mother liked him best? Let me guess, you are the middle child, aren't you?" Marcus was the older of the middle children. In order of age it was Edward (the golden boy who had all his parents hopes and dreams instilled in him), Marcus, Kane, and then finally Boris. Marcus could only grit his teeth as he listened to Specter pretend to diagnose him and at the same time mock him. Marcus lifted his gun up and fired a quick shot at Specter.

Specter flinched as he dove to the ground avoiding the bullet that blazed past him. Specter scrambled up to his feet as Marcus fired another rapid-fire succession of bullets at him. Specter fired one more Pop Grenade as he quickly hid behind one of the corners of a wall in order to take cover. He quickly began to reload his Pop Grenade launcher with another one. Meanwhile, Marcus was almost his mirror double. He had also taken cover behind a wall and was fully reloading his revolver with the small lead bullets.

The two of them popped out from behind the corner in perfect unison. Both of them pulled their triggers in the same instant. The bullet from Marcus' gun shot forward aiming for Specter's shoulder. Specter's Pop Grenade was flying through the air straight at Marcus' gut. Both of the projectiles hit their marks perfectly. Specter was thrown backwards, grunting pain as his shoulder began to bleed. His large weapon was only going to become harder and harder to move with only one good arm now. Specter could only smiled as his Pop Grenade exploded covering Marcus' scream with an even louder explosion.

Specter slumped down as the room filled with the smoke of his Pop Grenade. He grunted as he examined his body which had sustained, just from this fight alone, two shots. He guessed at this point the only benefit to being shot twice was the fact that his opponent had just been blown up with his greatest invention. Specter chuckled as he pulled his body up to a sitting position and then finally he stood up. Specter smiled and turned around about to leave, when another bullet whizzed by his head.

Specter froze. All of the muscles in his body clinched up, he couldn't even think about turning around to face the person who just fired at him. He heard Marcus chuckle. "Looks like you cut back on the gunpowder since last time not only that but in order to make it fly better you got rid of any kind of shrapnel, looks like that backfired."

Specter was breathing harshly, his hand had already sneaked its way back into his pocket already wrapping around his next and probably last Pop Grenade. He was considering the fact that he had to load and fire it within the same instant, chances are Marcus had a pretty good line of sight with him. Load, spin, shoot...load, spin, shoot...That was it. Specter produced the small grenade and brought it around and quickly slid it into the crossbow. He spun about with bringing his crossbow up in the same instant, but he was too slow.

Marcus fired first. His bullet shot through the air and into Specter's shoulder sending him spiraling to the ground. His hand loosened up and he basically tossed his crossbow across the room. The small spherical grenade popped loose and rolled over to Specter's side as Specter slammed down onto the ground. Marcus scoffed as he walked over next to the fallen Specter's side. He bent down and grabbed Specter's face in between two of his fingers and his thumb. He smirked as he shook Specter's head.

"You really thought you could beat me?" mocked Marcus, "I told you, didn't I? The only reason I lost to you last time was because I was with my idiotic and worthless brothers. Without them I am 10, 30, 60, 100, 1000 times better! If it wasn't for them...if it wasn't for them making me weak I would've killed you the first time we met! Boris was a moron if he hadn't stepped on that bomb back then I would've put a bullet in your head! If Edward didn't insist that we kidnap someone where we could steal there information and break in...if it wasn't for them YOU WOULD BE DEAD!"

Specter looked about trying to find someway out of this mess, but he couldn't quite see anything nearby that could help him. His Pop Grenade launcher had been thrown when he was knocked back and Marcus had leaned onto the gun, that Specter had always kept at his waist, making it impossible to grab and use. Specter was out of luck it seemed like. So many things had rushed into his mind that he had originally wanted to do, but one thing kept coming back into his mind. And that was that he didn't want to die now.

He assumed he would've been fine dying at the hands of Whitebeard, Shanks, or any other yonkou...he'd probably be fine dying at the hands of a Shichibukai as well, but he just couldn't go on with peace if he had died at the hands of this maniac. His gun was his only hope. His left hand shot as fast as it could, while his right hand struggled with Marcus' gun trying to avert the line of fire, and struggled to lift Marcus' knee off of the gun, but to no avail. Marcus overpowered him and slammed his own gun back into Specter's face.

"Stop it!" shouted Marcus as he jammed his knee down harder, "don't you want to die with some dignity?" Marcus smirked as he thought back to what Edward said to Alexander. "Do you have any last words?" Edward stated that all great pirates gave their enemies the chance of last requests or at least last words and if Edward did it, then Marcus would do it as well, but he would do it better. Marcus inched the gun closer to Specter's face, "well, do you?"

Specter smiled through clenched teeth as he stared defiantly at Marcus. He wasn't going to allow someone like this to beat him. He then saw it. His one way of escape. He smiled as he moved his leg...yup, it was perfectly well. When Marcus situated himself onto Specter's gun, he freed up his other leg to move. Specter looked up at Marcus, "its funny. My nickname came from the embellished story of how I beat you guys last time. Mr. Kamikaze is what they call me...and I hate it."

"Good, remember the terrible things about this life," said Marcus, "it'll make your death go a lot easier." There was a loud click from Marcus' gun as he readied to fire it.

"Pretty good advice...FOR YOU!" shouted Specter as he brought his free leg up and then back down. Marcus turned around to face what Specter had down only to realize it a little too late. The Pop Grenade from Specter's crossbow that had come loose from it due to the fall had rolled into place right next to Specter's free leg. Marcus was only able to watch, mouth wide open as Specter's leg crashed into the Pop Grenade, the necessary force to cause it to explode.

Marcus was blown upwards and into the wall, knocking himself unconscious. While Specter was a little more lucky. Not only was Marcus' body in-between him and the Pop Grenade when it went off, but Specter was also propped up against the wall. He couldn't have been thrown into it even if he had tried. Of course, his leg suffered pretty damage along with the rest of him, but he had no chance of a concussion. That was at least a comforting thought as he blacked out.

(-with Akane-)

Akane was slowly coming out of her fog. Her head hurt like hell. Her hand crept up to her head and held it. She slowly stood up, careful to not loose her balance. She finally managed to bring herself up to her own two feet, when she noticed where she was. She wasn't at the Marine Base...or any other location that she would fall asleep in. She was downtown where the bandits and criminals usually hang out and do their business. Her hands immediately went to her scythe...or where her scythe should be. It was missing.

She grimaced as she looked about. The place had been cleared out. There wasn't another criminal around her, but that didn't make her feel any safer. She had to find her scythe and get out of here. She turned to run away, but instead she stopped in her tracks as she found Kane standing there looking at her. He tossed her scythe to her and produced his sword.

"You again?" asked Akane looking at him in disbelief, "I thought I beat you bad enough that you wouldn't dare come and fight me again. What happened?" She twisted her scythe around in her hands and brought it behind ready to fight.

Kane smirked, "I'm ready to kill you now." He produced the small vial of liquid he got from the man from Taka. He smiled as he chugged it down.

* * *

><p>Whoo! Been awhile since we heard from Akane, but here she is waking up in a crime-infested portion of the city. I admit I wanted to use an incredibly low-brow comedy and dirty thing here, but I fought my instincts and went with something with a little more class...anyways, ehm...well, at least Specter's fight finished with some good news. Even though he knocked himself out. I want to point out that this is also my first gun on gun fight, so I hope I did a good job with it!<p>

Other then that I have some good news! First off, my school work is done (for the most part) also according to the average number of reviews per chapter this story is my most popular story (it is currently averaging 9 reviews per chapters!) So, I just want to thank you my faithful reviewers (and all of you people who read, but don't review...YOU SHOULD REVIEW TOO!)


	29. Chapter 29 Assassins and Death

**Assassins and Death!**

"Keh heh ha ha ha ha!" laughed Kane as he downed the liquid letting the cool and cold liquid go down his throat. "I feel stronger already!" shouted Kane loudly. His muscles began to slowly inflate, becoming larger and larger. Black stripes began to emerge on his arm as if they were ink seeping through his skin. "My god!" he screamed loudly, "whatever was in that drink I want more of it! I feel so strong! So much more powerful!"

Akane stopped for a second. This was no simple magic trick and even if it was, she highly doubted that she should just treat it as such. Its probably something to be on the lookout for. The enlarging of the muscles looked like it would be troublesome, but her real interest was in the black stripes going down his arm...they looked familiar. She was pretty sure that she had seen them some place before. As an assassin she had been to a lot of places...it is quite possible that she had seen it before. She tried to recall any information about it, but couldn't she was in the mood to fight not to think.

Akane prepped herself bringing her scythe up to her side and brought it around. Last time she took mercy on him and let him go in one piece, this time she wasn't going to go so easy. She opened her mouth to tell him that, but was astonished to see him vanish and reappear right before her, bringing his sword around and into her in an upwards slicing motion. Akane stumbled backwards taking the motion of the man in as she examined her new wound. Kane was smiling as he looked her in the eye.

"What's the matter?" laughed Kane, "thought my outburst was just a show? No, I really do feel more powerful! Its like my muscles are exploding with new power! I feel like a new man! With this new and improved power I may even be able to defeat Edward!" Kane swung his sword around in the air several times trying to adjust to his new found power. "That's right! I'll be the new leader of the Sons of Blackbeard! My brothers would have to obey me! Boris, Marcus, Edward all of them would be my precious little servants!" Kane let out a deep breath, "but first...I have someone I have to kill. Can't have my first fight with this power go down as the fight my opponent got away, can I?"

Akane steadied herself. Ordinarily in a straight fight she would like to examine her wound and maybe even wrap it up and stop the bleeding, but she was starting to doubt if Kane would give her the chance. Her only option was to take him down and then stop the bleeding. But as least now she knew not to mess around...whatever Kane drunk before the fight was something special. He was at least four, maybe even five times more powerful. She had barely seen him move in and slash at her. It was definitely something to worry about. She wasn't about to wait for him to make the first move. She drove in with a swing of her scythe, bringing it about in a flash the sharp end of the scythe aimed straight for Kane's neck. Kane laughed as he brought his sword up to block the scythe's swing. The scythe bounced off of the blade. Kane charged in with his sword. He brought his sword up and performed an upwards thrust on Akane. Akane didn't miss a beat, she was already in motion backing away from Kane's slice desperate to avoid another slash.

Kane stepped in and took another slash. Akane brought her weapon up and blocked the slash. The fight continued with each of them exchanging blows. Akane would swing and Kane would block, or Kane would swing and Akane would block. The fight continued with a fast paced exchange of swings. The drink had boosted Kane's strength plenty pass Akane's, but Akane was still more experienced. Kane was also still adjusting to his new strength, such an huge change would take some getting used to. However, he was growing more and more accustomed to it, after awhile he would eventually get used to it and by then if Akane hadn't won the battle, yet...chances are he would end the battle right then are there.

Akane decided to take the fight to the next level. She jumped back and then jumped forward, doing a forward somersault, with her scythe extended forming a dangerous spinning wheel. Kane brought his sword up and tried to block it, but the momentum from Akane's spin combined with her weight came down and together upon him. The old Kane would've crumbled from the supremely powerful strike, but with his new reinforced muscles he was capable of withstanding it. As Akane's spin came to a sudden halt, she struck out bringing her leg out in an instant and ramming her foot into his gut, causing him to gasp in pain for a brief moment before regaining his composure.

Akane rushed in and the fight quickly resumed. Kane brought his sword up and blocked Akane's new swing. The clashing of metal could be heard as Akane brought her scythe down and onto Kane's sword. Kane swung wide, bringing his sword through with incredible momentum and force. Akane brought her scythe to her side to block the swing, but the force still slammed into her scythe and through her scythe and into her, knocking her back. Kane took advantage of this slight unawareness and closed in the distance. His sword screamed through the air as he brought it closer and closer to his opponent's gut. Akane ignored it and brought her scythe upwards and towards Kane's shoulder. The mutual ignoring of their opponent's weapon delivered simultaneous blows to their own bodies. A stab to Akane's gut and cut to Kane's shoulder.

Akane backed off. That was her second wound this fight. The fact that she had just beat this guy's butt earlier today without even breaking a sweat only made it worse. The man went under a miraculous transformation! Akane braced herself for the rest of the fight. She dashed over to him scythe extended. She just needed to know about the liquid, and whether or not it had any weakness. She knew the information was stored somewhere in the back of her mind, but she couldn't seem to bring it out, she highly doubted that Kane would give her the time to think about it. And she was right.

Kane charged in and once more their two weapons clashed. Akane immediately changed her train of thought from the liquid to the fight. Kane's swordsmanship was closer to the random flailing of a twelve-year old just starting to learn then the master that Kane claimed to be. But a sword in the hands of an idiot was still something to worry about, especially if that idiot was as strong and as fast as Kane was right now. Akane flinched involuntarily as she looked at the blood oozing from her body, she was losing too much too fast, a prolonged battle would not be too her advantage. Kane was ignoring his wound and was preparing for yet another charge and clash of weapons.

Kane moved in screaming as his large muscles pulsed. He brought his sword down right on top of Akane. Luckily she reacted fast enough, bringing her scythe up and above her head blocking the downwards swing. The force from the swing still forced her down and into the earth beneath, cracking it open, but she avoided another open wound.

Kane didn't stop he brought his sword back up and then back down as fast as he could, each time clashing with Akane's scythe. He intended to cut through the scythe and, probably, Akane with one swing. As long as he kept striking the scythe eventually it would weaken and he'd be able to do it and with Akane being pushed into the earth, he feet had become stuck in the rocky crevices and bringing one of them up to kick herself free from this position was unlikely. Finally a stroke of luck for Akane! Kane grimaced and his eyes widened he backed up, obviously in pain, but from what Akane had no idea, she jumped backwards distancing herself from him and remembered to avoid being put in that situation again.

Kane had stumbled backwards and Akane just watched him as his widened from the pain and he was nearly doubled over. Akane didn't attack or even take up a stance to attack, she just watched. While she was sure that Kane wouldn't give her the same treatment if that was her, she decided to abide by the rules of sportsmanship and refused to attack a man while he was down.

"What did you do?" asked Kane as he looked up at her, blood started to trickle down and out of his mouth. Akane looked shocked and surprised that Kane would automatically assume it was her. After all he was the one who dragged her here while she was unconscious, forced to fight, and then used some sort of strange liquid to beef himself up. She had to believe that was crossing several lines. "What the hell did you do to me!"

As Akane watched the blood trickle out of Kane's mouth the final piece of the puzzle came into place. The liquid. She remembered encountering several people researching a specific liquid. One that turned someone into a superhuman for a short period of time, but after the time limit was up the human died. It was in the Grand Line...The Fatal Fuel. There was no known way as to how to reverse it either. As soon as it hit the stomach it was absorbed straight into the blood stream, once it was in there it stayed in there and it was going to leave. "Stop it! And just lay down!" Akane shouted, "you're going to die! That liquid you ingested was the Fatal Fuel! You can't keep moving!"

Kane grunted as he drew his sword. He ignored Akane's preachings and tried to charge forward and deal another blow, but couldn't. His feet moved sluggishly accepting the fate before them, but Kane wouldn't listen even as his arms feel limp he still tried to move forward taking step after step. Each step felt like an eternity as new pain surged through his body, he started to cough up more blood, and his body started to move slower and slower.

"Stop," Akane pleaded as she watched Kane move closer and closer to her. He tried to talk, but that only led to a brand-new wave of blood to spill from his mouth. Kane's grip came loose and his sword plummeted to the ground. Kane continued to approach Akane despite being disarmed. "Stop!" shouted Akane, looking at Kane. Kane's eyes rolled back into his head. Another and final wave of blood splurged from his mouth as he collapsed forward. Akane reached out and grabbed a hold of him, she also collapsed onto the ground from the force of Kane's deadweight.

Kane continued to spew blood from his mouth and onto Akane's clothing. Akane just stayed there gripping the dead body in her arms. She looked down at the dead body, her mind flashed back to all of the times she had seen that look. The look of blood spilling from their body, their eyes rolled back in death, their mouth still wide open, trying desperately to finish their last words. It seems like death just wasn't going to let her go...it would always follow her.

(-With the Taka member-)

His face was contorted into a frown as he lifted his head. The Sons of Blackbeard were just tools for him to dispose of, but at this point it seemed like they died pointless deaths. He had broken into the Captain's room and was shuffling through the many, many files on Marine personnel, trying to find records on certain individuals. He needed to find out as much as he could about the Vice Admirals and up. Things were going to come to boil soon...a world war was about to break out and he needed to secure enough information to ensure their victory.

The Admirals were the biggest threat. They were three incredibly powerful individuals all teamed up together for the sake of defeating Taka, the Revolutionaries, and the Yonkou. The army of the Marines is greater then any other force that would take part in the war. He needed to figure out a way to take out the top three heavy hitters before the war started. He didn't have the time to lose...he only had another month...maybe a little more...if he could figure out the Admirals weaknesses then it would be secured. The greatest goal the Taka's could hope for to create a biological super weapon that would even make the creators of Pluto piss their pants.

The Gura-Gura Fruit would be appearing soon.

* * *

><p>Yup, I am using that Devil Fruit in this story. Since the Hito-Hito no mi is around, I figured 'What the hell! why not this one?' The Gura-Gura no mi, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit (for you English fans). I figure it would work perfectly with Taka's plan to create a super weapon, I mean come on! The ability to demolish everything in sight! It is absolutely necessary to their plan!<p>

Also, yes, ignoring Taka's latest evil mastermind idea. Akane is having a really, really bad day. Probably the worst one in fanfic history (ok, over-exaggerating, but you get the idea). I think it is time for you guys to get to know pre-Marines Akane! That's right! Get ready to tag along with an assassin! Since the person who submitted Akane didn't include a very detailed past, this one will be designed by me to be the best I can think of! Wish me luck!


	30. Chapter 30 An Assassin's Only Friend

**An Assassin's Only Friend**

Akane pressed her body against a wall of a great citadel. This was just an ordinary mission for her. Another day, another death. Of course, she took her time. This was just the first day of her mission, she promised the death of her target within a week. The first couple of days are just for simple observation, no need to rush it...get to know her target, their routines, their weaknesses, their strength, after she had obtained all of this information, it was a simple job. No one could beat her at her job.

She had started out this job like any other job, with a simple tracking of her target, or in this case, targets. She had been ordered to murder an entire family, according to the information she had obtained from the client the man was a Marine official, he knew the Marines plans inside and out. They were apparently planning to eliminate a nearby Mafia boss, said Mafia boss offered Akane a pretty penny to give him, and any other Marines with their noses in places where they don't belong, a message. Leave it alone.

Akane knew the Mafia boss well enough. He was well-known as the number one drug produced in the world right now. He would make a famous pirate's bounty in just one day. The Marines have been on his tail for several years, but never once have they found any conclusive evidence to pin on him. He was a free man and the Marines hated that. He was a decent enough man on the outside from what the rumors said. They said he served as a Marine for ten years, learned how to avoid them, quit, and became a Mafia boss. A big one.

The mission he had sent Akane on was simple enough. Akane was to kill the Marine and his entire family. A sure message that told any following investigators that the same fate would surely befall them. As a result the body would have to be left out in the open for someone to chance upon it all the more reason why Akane would have to remain hidden and be careful. The Marines would immediately notice the death and they would waste no time trying to track down the murderer. The Mafia Boss would be safely tucked away out of their reach and jurisdiction, but Akane would have to try her best to avoid arrest until the Marines put the warrant for her head away once more.

She ducked behind the corner of the wall once more as her eyes caught sight of her target leaving the Marine Building. He was a Rear Admiral, so Akane knew that a straight up fight with him wouldn't end in her favor. The more and more she looked at this mission, the more and more she knew this wasn't going to be easy. She sighed as she accepted her fate. She was an assassin and she was going to do her job even if it left a sour taste in her mouth.

She couldn't help but freeze as she watched the Rear Admiral move about from place to place. He didn't move like she would've imagined. He must've known that someone was gunning for his head, so why wasn't he avoiding places where criminals hung out. He went into the dark alleys, he walked through abandoned neighborhoods. Akane simply stuck to him trailing behind him as she watched him move about. If this was just a random person on a random assignment, Akane wouldn't have wasted the chance and moved in already, but she knew how small the margin for error was and resisted. She waited.

The day went on like that. The Vice Admiral making no movement to extend his life. To even hint on the fact that he knew he was being followed, he just kept on moving through dangerous locations and ignoring the well-lit locations that would've offered an easy witness to any murder, that Akane could imagine. This man definitely didn't act like a Marine official...especially not a high ranking one like he was supposed to be. The thought kept popping into her head.

The next day held no difference. The Marine kept taking short cuts through back alleys, a smile on his face, ignoring the dangers of staying in the darkness. She couldn't believe, the man was either an idiot for ignoring the dangers or an idiot for not knowing about them. Never take on as assassin in the dark, NEVER! It was just as stupid as taking on a Fishman in the water. It was suicide. She couldn't help, but feel a slight twinge of regret for taking this assignment. It offered no real challenge. She didn't take up the job as an assassin because she liked killing people as a matter of fact that was pretty far from the truth. She didn't like killing people, but it was one of her talents. She had considered becoming a pirate, but the whole huge bounty thing didn't seem like a good idea. Becoming a Marines was just as ludicrous, she wasn't a hero and she didn't want to be. She became an assassin as nothing else fit her.

Akane still hunted the man despite the lack of interest in the job. She accepted the mission and planned on carrying it out. The next day she had her opportunity. The man had taken out his wife, they were going to go for a beautiful walk and she followed them. Just like the man proved, he once more took her through a shortcut. And once more that shortcut was through a dark alleyway. Now it was just the man, the Marine, she may have let him go on his path, but if it was both of them...she wasn't going to let the opportunity pass her by. She swooped down into the alleyway without a second to spare.

The Marine and wife looked at her and laughed for awhile. The man put his hand on her shoulder, "You really shouldn't be dressed like that, you could give people the wrong..." his words were cut short as Akane brought her scythe straight up and into his throat, easily separating his head from his shoulder. The girl didn't even get to open her mouth to scream, before Akane easily moved on to her once more slicing her head clean off.

Akane stayed on the island for a couple more days. She didn't want to leave the island and attract attention to herself due to her desire to get off of the island. On the day she was going to disembark, the man's funeral was being held. Ordinarily, she made it a point not to spend any time getting to know her target personally...it made no sense as an assassin. But her curiosity got the best of her, so she went. She stood there and watched them all standing about, mourning the loss of one of their Marines. She was amazed at what kind of a job she did. She was about to turn around and leave, when something caught her eyes. Or lack of something. She didn't see any Marines stationed around, no Marine flag showing his time spent in the military. She froze as she watched the men and women poured in.

None of them appeared to be Marines. They all came by in their nicest suits, dressed to mourn. She looked at all of them none of them had a tell-tale budge of a gun or a sword that was secretly mounted to their belt. She was stuck there dumbfounded as she watched. She recalled the man's movement through the dark alleyways. It could've been possible that the reason he didn't act like no one would be hunting would be because there was no reason why someone would be hunting him.

Akane panicked. That wasn't possible. She killed a Marine...she killed a Marine! She broke out of there and raced out of the cemetery. Her mind was focused on heading to the man's house. She had followed him there, she followed him from there, she knew where it was. She knew it from any other house. She pushed past people, ignoring their shouts and their grumbles as she shoved them aside.

She arrived at the house and stopped in front of the house. She froze in space as she looked up at it. It was small, nothing impressive. Honestly, if she didn't know...think that a Marine officer lived here she wouldn't have guessed it. She would've said that if anyone lived here it would a normal adult, maybe a store owner. She walked up to the door and knocked on it, her hand trembling. The door swung open. In the doorway stood a little girl, she had blond pigtails and big blue eyes as she looked up at Akane. The young girl was smiling when she opened the door, but the smile faded, "you're not daddy."

A young woman came up to the front door. She grabbed the girl and told her to go to the back of the house. The girl complied. The young woman bowed at Akane. "I apologize. Her parents just died...I'm afraid she still doesn't accept the fact. She keeps hoping they'll come home." The young woman sighed as she looked over in the direction of the cemetery. "I'm sorry...did you know Mr. Westen?"

Akane nodded, lying, as she walked into the house guided by the young woman. The young woman took Akane around the house, showing her to each of the individual rooms. Akane stopped as she saw each and every photo in its frame. Each of them showing the man, Mr. Westen, with his daughter, his wife, or both. She felt her face turn red with shame as she looked at each and every photo. She couldn't believe her own stupidity. She spent all of this time trying to get used to the man's routine and know the routine, but she didn't learn who he was. Why would she? Why would she jeopardize the mission by getting close to the target?

As the tour continued and she got to know the family, whose lives she had just either taken or ruined, she began to feel more and more upset...she felt angry...annoyed...misled. The Mafia boss had lied to her and caused her to take an innocent man's life. She had taken mostly innocent lives before, but there was still a difference. She had killed royalty in order to help another family succeed in power, she killed Marines to keep drug routes going, she had killed fellow assassins for revenge...there was always something that being gained by her actions...but now the only difference in the world was a little girl lost her parents.

Akane didn't know what she felt more of sorrow for the poor little girl or anger at the Mafia boss for tricking her. The more and more she thought about it, the more she felt that it was actually the second one, which only made her even angrier! A girl had just lost her parents and here she was annoyed that she was lied to! She was the one that killed the girl's parents, the least she deserved was being lied to! But here she was upset with that fact!

She quickly apologized to the young woman for taking up her time and left. She raced out of the house and across the island. She got on the first ship she found and quickly contacted her client once she was safely away and told him about her finishing the job and immediately demanded that they meet. The Mafia boss agreed and if the emotion the Den-Den Mushi had on its face was any indicator to what the Mafia boss was thinking, he had another plan in mind.

Him and Akane met at a designated location at a designated time. Akane arrived first to double check that this wasn't a trap and hid herself. She arrived a couple of hours ahead. The Mafia Boss wouldn't be able to send in troops and have them station themselves about the location in order to take her down the instant they saw her. She was in her hiding place for hours, eyes locked onto the meeting place, but they fluttered around checking the stands, the trees, everything for any sign of soldiers. Nothing.

Finally the time they agreed upon arrived. The Mafia boss stepped onto the field accompanied with two of his men, probably expecting Akane to attack him. Akane emerged from her hiding place arms up. She walked up to the man, "who did I just kill?" were the first words that left her mouth.

The Mafia boss laughed loudly, "who cares? It was just some random guy. I just wanted to see how good you were at doing your job. I never hired you before, so now I know you can kill someone and not have them trace it back to me. So, onwards to your real assignment..." Akane's scythe was produced in flash and wrapped itself around his neck. His two men were much slower and barely managed to pull their guns out in time.

The Mafia boss chuckled nervously as Akane spoke again, "who did I just kill?" He looked at his two men, both ready to fire, but they were waiting for the signal. He froze. He didn't much care whether or not Akane died. He would rather she lived, but he knew the instant he gave the signal to fire, his head would roll. His teeth froze together clenched as hard as they could. He looked at her again as she asked once more, "who did I just kill?"

"Who cares?" shouted the Mafia Boss, "I'll pay you double for the waste of your time! Now may we please move onto the actual..." his words were cut short as Akane pulled back on the scythe, separating his head from his body just as she did to Mr. and Mrs. Westen. His two soldiers reacted, but not fast enough as Akane just easily removed their heads from their body.

Akane turned around and frowned as tears began to stroll down her face, "wrong answer."

Akane later went to turn herself into the Marines. She had decided it was only fair, she had killed more people then she could count. She had resigned herself to her fate and marched into the great white halls of the nearest Marine Base. She probably would've died that day if it wasn't for a Marine Admiral. He smiled when he heard her profess her crimes. He cut her deal. For every man she admitted to killing she would have to bring in two criminals. After that they would be more then happy to kill her or she could work for them.

* * *

><p>Okay! Now you understand a little bit more about Akane's past. The drugs the Mafia Boss ran could include Fatal Fuel and that would explain how she knew about it...or maybe I'm still hiding something about her past! Anyways, I bet you guys are all wondering what happens next! Edward is the only Son of Blackbeard that is still loose in the Marine base and every second that goes to waste he gets closer and closer to the Devil Fruit!<p> 


	31. Chapter 31 The Race to the Devil Fruit

**Race for the Devil Fruit!**

Edward crept through the building. His body was slumped over as he watched and listened to the panicked Marines all of them charging through to the armory. He chuckled to himself as he found their stupidity astounding, but helpful. They were unable to see the gleeful little ant tiptoeing through their halls to their prized possession because an elephant was rampaging around worthless weapons. He could only chuckle at their actions as he moved through the base. He stopped still as one of the halls split off into two directions. He breathed sharply and scratched the back of his head...he really should've found a map.

He turned and looked around the corners of the hallway. In the end, he didn't quite understand why. He highly doubted that the Marines would have a sign that said 'Powerful Devil Fruit located here'. He frowned briefly before he did notice one of the signs. 'Marine Captain's room'. He smiled at that, without a doubt plenty of important Marine documents possibly even the Devil Fruit would be contained in there. He approached the door and knocked it down, sending the door flying inwards. He waltzed in with pride and assertiveness. He froze as he saw in the corner a man huddled up leafing through vanilla colored folders. "You!" shouted Edward attracting the man's attention.

"Ah ha ha ha!" laughed the man, who was the Taka member dressed all in white, as he temporarily tore his gaze from the documents he had in his hands. "I guess it must've been your friend that caused the ruckus a couple of hours before." He leaned back as he wiped his hand through his hair. It was interesting seeing this man, especially seeing as this was a suicide mission. More importantly he had already given one of his brothers a disastrous potion. It was almost a joke as he looked Edward in the eye and tried to be friendly when he had just sent his own brother to his death. Talk about a joke!

"What are you doing here?"asked Edward as he bent down and prepared for a fight. He could only think that the reason why the man was here was to get the Devil Fruit himself. He may have helped them out visited them often and tried to give them weapons to help make them into a feared group, especially after their last failed invasion, but now...he might've changed his mind and was trying to beat him to the Devil Fruit. He wasn't going to allow that.

"I'm sorry," said the man as he dropped the documents to the ground. He felt so insulted that the little brat felt like he would actually be a challenge to him. But the man was still a guinea pig for Taka's work, he couldn't kill him. He bit his tongue and breathed out deeply, "I am collecting information on how to take down the Marines." He felt that bringing up the Gura-Gura no mi would only make Edward want it, so he left that part out. On top of that he almost found the paper works he was looking for, he probably only needed a few more minutes to get what he wanted and leave. The Marines wouldn't even see him.

Edward smiled and nodded. He still didn't fully believe him, but from the looks of the room that is what it appeared that really was what he was doing, just sitting around and gathering information for his group. "Found anything on where the Devil Fruit is located?" asked Edward as he looked at the scattered papers.

The Taka member reclined backwards as he thought about it. He didn't spend any really time researching it. He didn't particularly care for the Devil Fruit located in this Marine Base, from what he heard it was just a Zoan-Type. Now if it was a Logia-Type he may have stolen it, but for a pesky Zoan? Not happening. He moved some of the papers around that he had carelessly tossed to the floor, the blame for the destroyed office would just be on Edward, so he'd be happy for that, but the man was starting to seriously impede his search. Right now all of the blame would go on Edward and his idiot brothers, but if he was seen...Taka would become involved and they were trying to keep their activity to a minimum for awhile now. Finally he gave up and slumped his shoulders and shook his head.

"Fine!" griped Edward. He was debating about whether or not he should believe him or sit down and rifle through the papers himself. He decided he would be faster searching on foot, reading wasn't one of his strong suits. He turned and was about to leave when a second thought stopped him. "By the way, I forget what is your name?"

The Taka member froze on the spot. Asking for names was as close to a taboo as you could get in the world of assassins. Ordinarily he would've just given out a fake name, but if everything went well then Edward may just join Taka, he shivered at the thought, but if he truly could use two Devil Fruits then he would be a powerful ally. "Just call me White." Edward gave him a weird look. "Group Leaders and above have code names in order to hide their true names in public. For obvious reasons people call me White." Edward nodded and decided that was it for the conversation and left.

(-With Alexander and Rina-)

Alexander and Rina were both charging down the mountain. Alexander was a few feet in front of Rina. The explosion had recharged both of their spirits and they decided to ignore the mountain path and just charge in the direction of the smoke."What do you think caused the explosion?" asked Alexander in a panicked voice. He couldn't imagine anyone blowing up the Marine Base, he didn't even think Edward would be that insane. He really doubted that he'd try to make such a big ruckus, something else must've happened that caused the boom.

"How the heck should I know?" shouted Rina back at him, "I barely even know the crew who are attacking it? Everything I know is what you've told me so far." She was following Alexander closely. She was worried about Hayate, but he seemed to have rebounded well enough and was chasing them very closely, barking all the way.

Finally, Alexander saw the large Marine walls around the base, barely peeking up over the rocky ridge of the mountain. Alexander jumped up, his entire body transforming into his half-human form. His skin became covered and transformed into blue steel as he slid down the rocky earth side. Mud and dirt flying around him. Rina stared down at Alexander as he continued sliding down the dirty mountain. Rina sighed and jumped down, starting to charge down the mountain after him, running at first, while at the same time maintaining her balance.

Alexander brought his arm down by his side as he neared the wall, "**Ferric Fist!" **shouted Alexander as he fired a single punch shattering the wall that stood before him. He quickly ran forward a bit to regain his balance when he hit the flat ground past the wall. He turned around and waited for Rina to catch up. He only had to wait for a few seconds before Rina hit the ground and landed next to him. She looked over at the rubble from the wall and shook her head.

"You do know you are probably going to have to pay for that, right?" asked Rina looking at the shattered wall. She shook her head as she looked towards Alexander, waiting for an answer. "And with your paycheck, I don't think that you have the money to pay for a new wall of the Marine Base."

"What wall?" asked Alexander as he kicked a chunk of the wall away and over the rocks. "I'm pretty sure this wall was destroyed when the bomb blew up." Alexander looked over at Rina who was staring at him in disbelief. Alexander's body returned to its normal human state. "What? Its true." With that Alexander quickly ran off in search of the explosion's location. Rina shook her head, but quickly chased after him anyways.

They stopped at the armory and looked into the door and saw weapons scattered everywhere. The swords and spears were all drilled into the wall. There were a lot of scorch marks all over the walls and floors. Plenty of Marines were still gathered around assessing the situation. "Looks like there was a lot of damage," they stated as they examined the walls. They pulled one of the spears free from the walls, "I mean besides having to redo the walls and the floor, we'd probably have to completely restock the armory."

Alexander sighed as he looked at the damage done. He paused for a second as he looked around himself. He saw two white blankets covering up two lumps nearby. Alexander walked over to them and looked at the lumps. Rina's eyes followed Alexander. She gasped when her eyes laid eyes on the lumps under the blankets. Right off the back, Rina understood what happened. They were covering up the deceased. Alexander crouched down next to them examining the two bodies without removing the sheets.

Alexander stood up and turned around. "Come on, Rina," he stated with a cold tone, "we aren't going to find Edward standing around here." Alexander stopped walking away and quickly turned to one of the Marines, "can you point me in the direction that the Devil Fruit is being held?" The Marines looked at each other and then at Alexander.

"Sorry, sir," they said while shaking their heads, "that's classified information. Its about as classified as it gets around here." They were about to return to their work when Alexander's hand clasped onto them.

"I am Marine Captain, Alexander," stated Alexander, "otherwise known as the 'Iron Hammer'." Alexander transformed into his hybrid form, his entire body becoming coated in iron. "I have no desire to obtain the Devil Fruit, I just want to stop it from falling into the wrong hands. So, I'll ask once again, can you point me in the direction that the Devil Fruit is being held." Alexander's tone hinted more at a command then a question.

The two Marines quickly nodded and pointed off down the hall. Alexander nodded and dashed off. Rina took a deep breath and was about to chase after him, when she looked back at Hayate. Hayate was panting and laying on the ground, close to passed out. Rina sighed as she went down on one knee and put her arms around Hayate. There was no sense in chasing after Alexander with Hayate like this. Even if she did catch up and managed to keep up with him, she wouldn't do any good in a fight if she had to carry Hayate. And she sure wasn't going to leave Hayate alone.

She looked over at the Marines who were gathered around her. She sighed and resigned herself to her fate as she got up and patted herself cleaned and walked over to help the Marines dissect the damage and help them get the information ready for the report. She couldn't help but worry for Alexander. If they could rig up a bomb like this what were they capable of.

Alexander charged through the halls. His arms swinging rapidly as he raced about. He didn't have any time to lose. Edward could already have eaten the Devil Fruit. Even though Alexander doubted that Edward's body could handle two Devil Fruits, there were still debates that stated that even Blackbeard couldn't handle two Devil Fruits and that it was just some cheap trick he used, as much as Alexander didn't believe handling two Devil Fruits was possible. There is always rule 52: Always assume the worst-case scenario, but still hope for the best. And that's just what Alexander was doing. Hoping that he would make it in time.

He finally saw it, two wooden doors. They had multiple pad locks and other various forms of locks attached to it. Only one problem. The door was busted wide open.

* * *

><p>Exciting, no? We finally get something to call the Taka member, so now we don't have to refer to him as The Taka Member. Edward is closing in on the Devil Fruit, or perhaps he already has. Alexander is also getting closer as well, the climax of this arc is coming! So get ready!<p> 


	32. Chapter 32 The Fruit of Labor

**Alexander and Edward!**

**Edward's First Devil Fruit is Revealed!**

Edward giggled to himself hysterically as he held the large Devil Fruit in his hands. His giggle was in such a high-pitch that even school girls would be embarrassed to laugh like that. He marveled at the Devil Fruit in his hands as he turned it around and around in his hand examining it from every angle. Finally with one final triumphant laugh he stuffed the Devil Fruit into his bag, "I outsmarted those dumb Marines. The second Devil Fruit is finally in my hand..." his smirk vanished as the Devil Fruit vanished into his bag. He had promised his brothers that they would all be there when he took this final step to becoming a world-class pirate. While he may be aiming to be a pirate, there was still a certain code of brotherhood.

He had finally found his path to the Devil Fruit and busted down the doors that were locked. Once in it was simple enough to locate it, the Marines made sure that they wouldn't misplace or lose it. The room was virtually empty. Not a single table or chair placed in it. It had several filing cabinets all pushed to the side as to not attract attention. It was a perfectly clean and scarce room. The Devil Fruit was basically the only thing in it. Edward could only guess that was because anything that was in the same room as something as powerful as a Devil Fruit would just appear to be worthless and pathetic in the grand scheme of things.

Edward was smiling when he noticed that something else had changed. Besides the Devil Fruit being removed from the pedestal in the middle of the room, there was something else. A shadow stretching from the entrance of the room. Edward pivoted around and faced the entrance. Alexander was standing in the hallway his two hands balled up into fists. Edward paused as he looked at him across the room, "I...I thought you were still locked up in the mountains...with Boris watching you."The light was shining in from behind Alexander, casting a dark shadow over his entire body

"Oh, yeah, him...he got his butt beat by a little girl," explained Alexander with a dead serious expression on his face as he walked towards Edward. Edward was frozen in place as he watched Alexander get closer and closer. As the dark shadow dispersed as Alexander got closer, Edward paused as he noticed Alexander's blue iron body. "I'm going to have to insist that you return the Devil Fruit to the pedestal and turn yourself in for the death of several Marine officers."

"Yeah, right!" shouted Edward, his voice booming, "I fought my entire way in here and through hours of searching and troublesome idiots intruding as I bravely strode through the halls, gwa ha ha, I chanced upon this room, ha ha ha, and finally found me my precious Devil Fruit! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Edward quietly cursed his problems of laughing when he lied. He looked up at Alexander who was smiling as he rubbed his two hands together, "why are you smiling?"

"For some reason I was sincerely hoping that you'd refuse to come along peacefully," stated Alexander as he walked closer to Edward, "this way I get to beat the utter crap out of you." The images of the two Marine officers lying down in the hall of the Marine Base, dead was unbelievably enraging for him. He was just happy that he got to deliver justice to the man who did that to them. Alexander approached Edward as he raised his fist, "I'd appreciate it if you went at me from your fullest strength from the get-go. So, let's see what your Devil Fruit power is."

"Uh..." stuttered Edward as he stepped backwards. He reached into his bag and pulled the Devil Fruit out, the last thing he wanted to do was have the Devil Fruit get squished when he fought with him. With a very careful hand he placed the Devil Fruit carefully back onto its pedestal. This was an unforeseen problem, that he really didn't want to have to deal with as a matter of fact it really ruined his plan of stealing and leaving, but with it an actual opponent appearing in front of him and blocking him from leaving. He could only wonder if what he said about Boris was true, he couldn't dare believe it, but how else would he explain Alexander showing up here.

"Fine," muttered Edward as he brought his two hands together. Edward dashed forward without moving his body, his body just hurtled forwards toward Alexander. Alexander reacted fast bringing his fist around and into Edward's stomach. Edward's entire upper body did a rotation as he brought his entire body around in a circle as he slammed his elbow into Alexander's side, the speed from the spinning around in a circle increased his own personal physical strength and he managed to blow Alexander backwards and across through the floor.

Alexander grunted as he hit the floor face first. Alexander shuddered as he brought his body back up and stood up. He didn't have any time to react as Edward came at him again. This time his entire bottom half of his body was spinning around rapidly. Edward brought the heel of his foot up and into Alexander's jaw, sending him crashing to the floor. Edward smirked as he brought his foot back down and onto the ground, "I guess I should explain. I'm a wheel man. I ate the Kuru-Kuru no Mi*...basically any part of my body can become a fast spinning wheel. I can turn my feet into wheels to increase my speed or even better I can turn my waist into a wheel to deliver a fast spinning elbow attack. No human can survive two straight attacks from me! Now if you'll excuse me..."

"I'm sorry, I'm fairly certain that every Marine I know could easily survive that blow," stated Alexander as he brought his fist forward and into the side of Edward's face. Edward smiled as his entire head spun around from the force, but he managed to bring his fist back around and into Alexander's face and to the ground. Edward backed away.

"Gwa ha ha ha!" laughed Edward loudly, "I'm invincible any damage inflicted on me, I'll just use my own body's rotational abilities to defuse the damage. Most of the time a human takes damage because their body resists the force and there is no give, but my body is all about the give. If you punch my body will spin from the force and redirect it around my body rather then into it!" Edward laughed as his entire arm began to rotate quickly forming a large wheel. "Other then Logia powers this is as close to invincibility as one can be."

Edward smiled as he began to approach Alexander. "**Ferric Fist!" **shouted Alexander as he leapt up from the ground and launched a single powerful fist at Edward's body. Edward moved to the left, letting the punch hit the side of his gut rather then the front. Edward's body once more began to spin this time everything from the waist up was rotating with the power of Alexander's punch, Edward brought hand around and launched a powerful karate chop to Alexander's neck sending Alexander stumbling forward.

Edward grabbed his hand and grimaced for a few seconds before breathing out heavily and regaining his composure. "That's a hard body you got there...I guess my fingers are too fragile to survive a counter-attack on you. I guess that means I'll be left to normal attacks with my knees and other harder bones, possibly a fist..."

"Yeah, I guess that would be the smarter thing to do," muttered Alexander as he braced himself against the ground. He wasn't expecting anything like this. He knew he should've expected the worse, but from all of his encounters with Edward he really expected him to be an absolute moron especially in a fight. But he guessed that combat and other intellectual moments were very different...Alexander hoped that he would stink at both, but it didn't matter if combat was his area of expertise, either way Alexander was going to take him down.

Once more Edward's feet turned into wheel and began to rotate, sending him forward across the ground and at Alexander. Edward brought his foot around and rotated his waist, launching a fast sideways kick at Alexander's head. Alexander grunted as he brought his fist up and blocked the kick with his forearm and pushed Edward's foot away. Alexander leaned in and fired a punch at Edward's gut. Edward's feet wheel suddenly began to turn in reverse propelling him backwards and out of Alexander's range.

Alexander swore as he had to bring his fist back to his side with nothing to show for it. Edward still had a geeky, happy smile on his face as he strode about the room just out of Alexanders' reach. **"Orichalcum Axe!" **shouted Alexander. He leapt forward and into the air. He clenched his two fists together and then brought them both down simultaneously upon Edward. Edward brought his left foot out and onto the ground besides then he turned it into a wheel. Using the wheel, he made himself pivot out of the way using his left foot as the center. Alexander 'orichalcum axe' slammed into the ground and brought several floorboard up and into the air. Edward didn't let the moment pass him by as he continued to spin with his left foot as the center and brought his right foot all the way around and into Alexander's chest. Alexander let out a gasp as the kick propelled the air out of his lungs. Alexander slammed onto the ground and skidded back away from Edward.

Alexander quickly catapulted himself back up to his feet and spread his feet as he watched Edward move about. He was bobbing from one side to the other, going up and down and left and right. Edward's wrist suddenly became a wheel, and began to rapidly rotate spinning his fist around and around into a blur. Edward charged forward and fired this new spinning fist at Alexander's head. Alexander dodged to the left and let the punch graze over his shoulder. Alexander didn't dare to let waste this opening, he launched a kick, driving his knee into Edward's gut and forcing him back. Due to the frontal nature of the kick, Edward couldn't let the force rotate to a side and could only absorb it directly into his body. Edward grumbled as he was forced backwards from the power of the attack.

"Crap!" mumbled Edward as he steadied himself against the ground. Edward used his Devil Fruit power to rotate his leg upwards into the air and then he quickly reversed his the wheel's rotation and brought it back down upon Alexander. Alexander brought his two arms up and crossed them to block Edwards' powerful downwards kick. Alexander quickly broke his arms apart and upwards forcing Edward to lose his balance. Alexander pulled his fist back and fired a quick forward punch into Edward's gut. Edward let out a yelp as the punch slammed into him.

"Damn...it looks like I'm having a bit of trouble beating you up," mocked Edward as he began to stride forward back towards Alexander. "So, I'm going to make this fast!" Edward's forearms began to rotate, followed by his fist, and then his waist. His entire body becoming a blur as the different parts of it began t rotate around and around disappearing into a mess of rotating body parts. "Ha ha ha ha! Now I'm invincible!"

Alexander smirked. "Oh, yeah, let's test out that theory!" shouted Alexander as he charged inwards. "**Ferric Fist!"** Alexander charged in and fired a single punch at Edward. Alexander's fist hit the rotating body of Edward. Alexander's smirk from landing a hit disappeared as his fist got caught up in the spinning motion and sent him scrambling to the side. His power being completely repelled by the rotation. Alexander smashed forward onto the ground. Alexander grumbled as he quickly stood back up, "**Damascus Kick!" **Alexander lifted his leg up and down onto Edward's body, but the rotation once more proved Alexander's power worthless as it spun and forced Alexander's kick to the side and off of Edward's body once more not even harming him.

Edward lunged forward bringing his rotating fist upwards and into Alexander's gut. Edward quickly brought his other fist around and brought it into Alexander's head, knocking him backwards. "Don't even think about collapsing on me yet!" Edward's entire body rotated as he brought his leg up and around bringing his heel into Alexander's chin, sending him flying across the room.

* * *

><p>*Wheel-Wheel Fruit<p>

Edward's secret Devil Fruit power has been revealed. With the ability to rotate and redirect any force done onto his body with his rotation, he has proven himself to be one powerful opponent. All of Alexander's attacks have been forced off of his spinning body and Edward's attacks have landed with impressive force. Its hard to believe that such a worthless bandit and weird older brother can turn into such a powerful man.


	33. Chapter 33 The Dead Dreams of a Mountain

**The Ruined Dreams of Mountain Bandit!**

Edward's entire body rotated around quickly as he brought his open palm into the side of Alexander's face knocking him to the ground with tremendous force. Alexander tumbled around on the ground, before he brought himself back up onto his own feet. Alexander was breathing heavily as he stood up. Edward's rotating body made it difficult to land a single blow on him. Unless he could find some way to stop his movement, this was starting to become a troublesome fight. Especially since there was absolutely nothing around them that would help him win...this room was stark clean.

Well, one thing was for certain standing around and not doing anything would do the same as failing. So he might as well try! He moved forward and fired a single punch at Edward. Edward once more pivoted out of the way using his powers avoiding the powerful punch and continuing to pivot he brought his elbow around and into Alexander's back, knocking him forward and over Edward's foot.

"Did you really think that you have the chance to fight with me? I am the son of Blackbeard? His blood runs through my veins! His power, stamina, speed, and devilishly handsome good looks all still exist in me! No lowly Marine will ever be able to take me on!" Edward proudly shouted out. His fist began to rapidly rotate once more as he fired a punch at Alexander. Alexander dodged it and brought his arm around and into Edward's arm forcing it away from his body. Alexander leaned in and fired another quick punch onto Edward's body, but his arm was once more reflected off of Edward's body and away.

"**Full-Body Hammer!**" Alexander grunted as he leaned downwards and charged forward, bringing his entire body into Edward's fast moving body. Edward grunted as he was forced backwards, Edward slammed both of his feet into the ground supporting him as he skidded backwards. Alexander kept charging forward ignoring the fact that Edward's spinning body was still rotating in his body. Alexander grunted. Edward grunted as he transformed his shoulder in wheel rotating it directly downwards and into Alexander's back, knocking him down to the ground, freeing him from the grasp.

Edward smiled. He transformed his two feet back into wheels and started to spin, sending himself towards Alexander. Edward reeled back and fired a single punch. Alexander was barely back up on his feet as the punch came smashing into his face knocking him backwards once more. Alexander grunted trying to bring himself back up, but Edward wasn't allowing it. The bone connecting his leg to his hip became a wheel. The wheel rotated downwards bringing his heel directly into Alexanders back, smashing him into the ground. "Where's that Marine gusto?" mocked Edward as he brought his foot back. Edward's knee became a wheel. He sent his foot forward with tremendous speed smashing it into Alexander's face.

Alexander grunted as he lifted himself up onto his own feet. This was a wild trip, a wild bandit was this tough? He could only imagine what future battles would hold...he guessed that was the difference between Devil Fruit users and normal humans. Edward's ability definitely made him one hundred times more difficult then a regular human would be. "You've got a nice kick there...too bad I've suffered from kicks a thousand times worse from my old teachers. And HE was holding back!"

Edward charged, "oh yeah, well, well I was holding back before as well! This is me all out!" he screamed. This time he changed his hip and his knee into a wheel and rotated them both doubling the speed and power of his kick as he sent a sideways kick aimed at Alexander. Alexander shouted out in pain as the kick shuddered into him. Alexander was sent flying through the air and into the nearby wall. The wall shattered as Alexander was sent straight through it.

"Shit!" groaned Alexander as he stood up once more, "I shouldn't have ticked him off. He is kind of strong...and petty." Alexander stood back up and looked around him. Lockers? He must've flown into the locker rooms of the Marine Base...he was starting to wonder who the hell would put an incredibly powerful Devil Fruit next to naked guys, no, wait...naked girls. He looked at one of the broken apart lockers and saw some of the clothing strewn out of it. He paused for a second after all skirts and the like didn't necessarily mean girl. Alexander was shocked out of his thought as Edward's fist came flying through and smashed into Alexander's face.

Alexander only faltered and stumbled, but he didn't fall down. He managed to quickly regain his balance and focus on Edward who was already starting charging at him again with his own fist. Edward turned his leg back into a wheel and launched a fast rotational kick at Alexander. Alexander reached out and grabbed the kick bringing it to his side, but stopping it before it actually connected. Edward's foot froze as it came it was caught. Edward grimaced as Alexander's grip held fast refusing to let go. Alexander used his free hand to fire a single punch at Edward's abdomen. Edward's rotating body once more redirected the force of the blow off and to the side. Alexander stepped forward using the momentum from Edward's fast rotating body and brought his shoulder into Edward's chest, once more ignoring the rotation due to the huge blunt force that hit him. Edward's foot was broken free and Edward was sent stumbling backwards.

Edward's feet quickly transformed back into wheels as he propelled himself backwards to avoid Alexander's next swing. As soon as Alexander's wide swing finished, Edward quickly reversed the spin on his feet, sending him forward and at Alexander. With Alexander's post-swing due to his punch, he was wide open. Edward sent a forward spinning punch straight at Alexander's jaw. Alexander was once more knocked backwards, but he refused to fall and instead rebounded. With his head being knocked back, Alexander swung his entire body upwards bringing his skull forward. "**Hammer Skull!" **Alexander's skull came crashing forward and into Edward's head. Edward's head began to rotate wildly to dissipate the force.

Edward stumbled backwards as his spinning head began to slow down, "Shit..." his two arms were spread out as he tried to regain his balance. Now that he thought back on it, the spinning head was a stupid move. Now he could barely stand, his entire world was spinning around him wildly as his body got used to the lack of motion again. Alexander wasn't about to let this moment pass him by. Alexander dashed at Edward. Alexander reached and fired a straight punch.

"**Ferric Fist!" **The fist smashed into Edward's body sending him spiraling backwards. "**Damascus Kick!" **Alexander lifted his leg up and brought is smashing back downwards to the ground slamming into Edward's shoulder on its way. Edward plummeted down to the ground, hitting it hard. Alexander pivoted about. After having Edward easily dodge or shrug off his strongest moves he was finally getting some good ones in. "**Orichalcum Meteor!" **Alexander dropped downwards while simultaneously firing a downwards punch straight for Edward's chest. The increased momentum from the drop as well as the punch slammed into Edward's chest, forcing the air out in one big gasp.

Edward twisted his body around firing a punch into Alexander's face knocking him back and off of his body. Edward stood up with lightning fast reflexes still gasping to recover the air that Alexander had just knocked out of him. Alexander quickly rolled back onto his stomach and jumped up, he charged at Edward while he was still recovering from the heavy hit. Alexander punched. Edward dodged to the ground, desperate to avoid another punch. He was barely able to breath much less concentrate on using his Devil Fruit power. This fight was quickly becoming out of his favor.

Alexander moved in with several quick punches and even a few elbow strikes, each of them being proved futile in the face of Edward's quick dodges and drops to avoid the punches. Alexander grunted, but he wasn't about to let up. He fired punch after punch each one with the same devastating power as the last. Edward smirked as he finally was able to catch his breath and prepared for a counter-attack. Alexander's punch came soaring in. Edward grabbed a hold of it with his left hand and began to rotate to the left and backwards, dragging Alexander's body forward towards him while bringing his spinning right fist forward. Edward fired this punch directly into Alexander using both of their own momentum as a powerful catalyst for the punch.

Alexander was thrown backwards, but he quickly pressed his open palms against the ground and flipped backwards launching two upwards kick aimed at Edward. Edward jumped backwards dodging the attack. As soon Alexander's feet hit the floor again, he charged forward aiming at Edward. **"Cast-Iron Kill Swing!" **Alexander spun around launching a sideways swing with his iron arm. Edward's body rotated as the blow smashed into him spinning off of his body and to the side. Alexander stopped his swing and stepped forward, "**Ferric Fist!" **He brought his other forward turning the other way and brought it into Edward knocking him backwards.

The more they fought, the more information about Edward's Devil Fruit Alexander gained. As long as he hit him in the middle the punch would still work, if not then the punch would be redirected along with the punch. Then there was the matter the the rotation increases his power and speed. His body isn't completely immune to his own rotation and could become dizzy from his own rotation. And finally from the last attack, Edward's rotation can't be suddenly switched if it starts spinning one way and Alexander strikes the other side the damage won't be reduced.

Edward wheeled backwards avoiding another punch as it came at his face at fast speeds. Alexander lunged forward not letting Edward escape his range with a continuous chain of attacks. He kept up the punches and a few kicks forcing Edward back to the hole leading to the room that contained the Devil Fruit. "**Full-Iron Impact!" **Alexander came through firing one more punch straight into Edward's face. Edward didn't dodge in time and took the punch straight to the face, knocking him backwards and across the floor smashing into the room with the Devil Fruit. Edward smashed into the pedestal knocking the Devil Fruit loose and it fell to the floor. Edward reached over and and desperately tried to catch the Devil Fruit, but could only watch as it smashed into the floor.

Edward watched in horror as the Devil Fruit split open falling into pieces all over the floor. Edward shook as he stood over the Devil Fruit staring downwards at the broken fruit. "My...my dreams...all of my goals...this entire raid...for naught...you ruined everything!" shouted Edward as he stood up spinning about letting his clothing swish around him. "You bastard! I tried my very best to get to this point...and then you...you...YOU!" Edward's feet once more shifted into wheels as he shot forward slamming into Alexander knocking him back and across the floor into some of the lockers, busting them open with the velocity.

"Crap!" said Alexander as he pulled a large bra off of his head and tossed it across the floor, "I'm glad Rina didn't see tha-" his words were caught short as Edward's heel came crashing through the air and into Alexander's jaw. Alexander fell to the floor and looked up at Edward, "hey! Do you mind? I'm trying to make a witty retort! You can't just attack me in the middle of i-!" began Alexander as once more Edward launched a spinning punch, but this time Alexander stopped it with his own hand, "Let me finish my witty retort!" shouted Alexander as he brought his fist back through and into Edward's face knocking him backwards and back into the room with the Devil Fruit.

Edward was bent over on the ground, still crouched over in the middle of the pile of the Devil Fruit juice. Tears were streaming down his face as he looked at the separate chunks of Devil Fruit that were sliding around on the ground... "I...I was cheated...my dreams...my father's dream...my brothers' dreams...all crushed with one move...one STUPID MOVE!" His eyes fell down to the Devil Fruit chunk, "Wait...its not over...yet..." he said as he frantically scooped up a chunk of the Devil Fruit, "no...I only need one bite of the Devil Fruit."

"Wait!" shouted Alexander. He didn't believe that he could eat two Devil Fruits...Blackbeard was only capable of that due to some weird abnormality and Alexander was almost positive that is wasn't hereditary and even though Edward was a bandit, he didn't deserve death. "Don't do it!"

* * *

><p>Okay, I made a mistake in the last chapter. I called Edward's Devil Fruit the Wheel-Wheel fruit while I meant give it the correct Japanese name cause that's how I prefer it. I fixed it, so feel free to go back.<p>

Also, this was supposed to go up on last Thursday and I could've sworn I put it up last Thursday. But guess what? I didn't...or I did and some jerk erased it.

Anyone have any regret or sympathy for poor Edward now? He kind of got screwed over in the end, no? But wait...if he really can eat two Devil Fruits he may just be the most powerful villain ever to grace One Piece fanficiton!


	34. Chapter 34 A Deal with a Devil

**A Deal with a Devil!**

Alexander's voice echoed through the room as he reached out trying to stop him, "don't do it!" Edward ignored him as he brought the Devil Fruit to his mouth and stuffed it in-between his lips, greedily eating the fruit with all of his gusto. Alexander took a step forward trying to get closer to Edward, but stopped short as he watched Edward's throat force the food down into his stomach. Edward was bent over, nearly collapsed in the center of the room surrounded by the purple goo of the busted Devil Fruit. The several chunks and shards of the Devil Fruit all laid about around him.

"It tastes just like I remember it. It tastes like crap. Pure and utter crap," muttered Edward as he smiled. He brought his feet up, trying to stand up, but stopped. His legs suddenly felt like butter beneath his body. "What...what's going on?" He collapsed onto the ground. His legs no longer capable of supporting his own weight. "What? Did you...did you poison the Devil Fruit!" shouted Edward, "you guys tricked me!" They must've poisoned the Devil Fruit! There was no other explanation...he should've been able to handle two Devil Fruits, right? It must've been some underhanded trick by the Marines. His shoulder suddenly started to expand rapidly, popping out of his skin between Edward's screams. The bone was soon protruding straight from his shoulder and out of the skin. Alexander's eyes were fixated on that new sight.

Alexander paused as he watched Edward scream in horror. He heard about how the body rejects two Devil Fruits, well, he was warned about it. He was warned numerous times about how he should never eat a Devil Fruit. Never try to and never accidentally eat one. He heard that there were numerous different rejections...some people just pass out and die, other times it is a very violent bodily transformations probably like the one he was watching now. His eyes still looking at Edward's new extra big shoulder bone.

Alexander recalled the information he had received about the two Devil Fruit problems. That there was no definitive answer as to why the average body rejected two Devil Fruits, but they were still allowed to eat one. Some of them stated that it was the Devil Fruits' weakness to water taken to the extreme. The human body was 70% water, so the dual Devil Fruits reacted to that and made the body itself implode or something due to the water. Other people still believed the black magic rule that the devils from the fruits fight for possession of the body, tearing it up in the process. But that was filed away next to the explanations that involved ghosts, zombies, and the occasional fairy. Alexander didn't believe in the devil's explanation even though he personally believed in ghosts and zombies.

His attention was wrenched back to Edward as he let loose another painful scream. His knee cap was the next thing to explode from his body, the bone blasting through his skin once more. "Oh, okay..." moaned Edward, "the large shoulder is better for strength...the new knee cap gives me a longer kick. Yeah, that's it! This Devil Fruit turns me into the best human body possible...yeah, that is what's happening. Its power is to transform me into the perfect human body! One that'll even surpass your iron body!" Edward tried stand up, but lost his balance and stumbled forward, once more yelling out in pain as the bone snapped, sending him falling to the ground. Edward's jaw was the next thing to change, it slowly began to expand. The bone pressing against his skin causing it to expand and eventually rip loudly. Edward made a loud unintelligible scream as he tried to let loose a scream.

Alexander was frozen as he looked at Edward, who was still doubled over in pain. Edward's hands were wrapped around his stomach as he tried to withstand the pain that surged through him. "Hellll...ppp meeee. Doooo sommmetthing! Pleaaassseeeee!" Edward's hands began to break open as the skin peeled back off of them. "I'll...I'll come peacefully! Just give me the antidote! Or something! SOMETHING!" Edward's hands released his stomach as he fell forward smashing into the ground. His large broken hands reaching out to Alexander. "Don't just stand there!"

"Get out of the way kid," said a man dressed in a standard Marine uniform as he pushed Alexander out of the way. Behind him was a large blade dragging on the ground. He adjusted his cap as he approached Edward who was still laying on the ground. Edward brought his eyes upwards at the Marine. The Marine's voice boomed through the room, "I leave for a one week trip to a neighboring island for a small vacation and when I return I find my Marine Base like this and my Devil Fruit like that..." he frowned as he squished one of the chunks of fruit beneath his heavy boot, "such a despicable day...I'm vastly disappointed in my subordinates, couldn't even take care of a standard mountain bandit."

"Help me!" muttered Edward as he tried to look up and plead with the Marine, "save me!" He begged him for the help but the Marine just stood there and looked down upon him.

The Marine brought his blade around. It looked like a long staff with a blade attached to it sticking out like a razor. "Sure...I'll free you from your pain." He brought his large blade up onto his shoulder, with a flick of his arm he brought the large blade up into the air and prepared to bring it down upon Edward. Finally with a final flourish he brought his large weapon down, but it was stopped halfway by Alexander.

"What are you doing?" asked Alexander as he gripped the staff part of the blade tightly within his iron hands. "You can't just kill him! He doesn't deserve something so harsh! Killing him is wrong!" shouted Alexander as he took another step closer to the Marine. "Give him a break! Just fix him or something!"

"You may not know any better newbie," stated the Marine as he wrenched his blade free from Alexander's grip, "but this is my Marine Base and everything in it is my private property, including the Devil Fruit. So, this technically qualifies as the stealing of a property and unwarranted use of said stolen property...in other words an illegal action. I'm sure the many Marines who died during his invasion would appreciate your sentiment, but I for sure believe that they'd appreciate me killing him even more."

"Plee...asseee! Stttoppp my pain!" shouted Edward as he crawled forward. Alexander paused as he saw his deformed body. His hands were deformed the fingers were all different sizes and lengths. His shoulder had busted out of his skin, his stomach was bloated, his kneecap was still blasted through his skin. His jawbone was twice the size of his mouth. Alexande paused as he looked at the poor mountain bandit. This had to have been one of the worst case of the Devil Fruit rejection. Alexander didn't even see the Marine Captain lift his blade back up or bring it back down. He only saw Edward's hideous body get sliced straight in two.

The Marine Captain turned around and began to leave, "I never understood why the Marines let bleeding hearts like you into our ranks." As he stepped outside of the room, leaving Alexander and what was left of Alexander sitting in the room he added, "let me see you, the rest of you crew, and anyone else who took part in your sad little crusade during this time. I feel like we need to have a long discussion on the case of what just went down."

(-Meanwhile with White-)

White was strolling through the Marine Base without a care in the world. He had just finished his job up and got all of the information he needed. He had done all of his research into the Marine Admirals. He found out all about their Devil Fruit powers as well as their current locations. His brain was already rushing through the plans as he slowly put the ideas together. He knew that the higher-ups would change everything and do everything according to their own plan regardless of how good of an idea that he had. It was honestly a worthless thing to think about.

However, whenever he thought of a different thing he kept thinking about Edward. He couldn't help but wonder about whether or not he would be capable of handling the two Devil Fruits. He couldn't help but think about it. He heard several dis-concerning thoughts about Edward and he kept thinking that something would go wrong and he would die. While he had no particular care for Edward, he did care about the promise of two Devil Fruits. Several Taka members had the same thoughts about it. The thought of another stupid mountain bandit coming in and taking place of one of the higher-ups irritated nearly half of the members, White included.

Though it was true White would do anything for the betterment of the organization, he still disliked the idea of being replaced. He chuckled to himself as he lifted the vanilla folder he had just stolen. He shouldn't be worried about that, not with this. He had just officially captured a promotion. Not matter what any other member brought in, he would have the biggest and best information ever, especially with the Gura-Gura no mi appearing so soon. He could already taste the fame and fortune they'd basically be piling onto him.

"YOU!" shouted a familiar voice. White turned around to his side, striking a fighting pose and preparing himself to fight. He locked his eyes on a poor excuse for a mountain bandit and dropped his guard. Marcus was standing there staring at him, his gun in his hand pointed directly at him. White shook his head at the gun. Marcus lowered it and approached White. His body had scorch marks on it and he was walking with a very bad limp. "You are the one who told my brother, Edward, about the Devil Fruit! You visited us numerous times to check in on us and see how we were progressing...you have some kind of secret, what is it?"

White paused for a moment as he thought about his answer. He had no real idea on how to answer it, so he decided on the truth, "I'm a member of an elite organization called Taka. We, well, just me actually, are on our own secret mission pertaining to a, um...a new world order of sorts." White was eying up Marcus debating on his strength. He highly doubted this man would even make him break a sweat.

"And let me guess," stated Marcus as he redrew his gun and aimed it at White, "now that you told me, you've got to kill me, right?" Marcus didn't let his gun lose aim of White's head, even as White moved closer to him. His sides hurt like hell, he felt like falling, but he didn't want to fall down now. If he was going to die today, he sure as hell wasn't going to do it passed out.

"Or," started White as he began to make an offer, "you could join us." White smiled as he contemplated the new member. Edward was a very useful pawn to them, his brother be just as useful to their operation even if it was just as a scapegoat later down the road. "I mean we are always looking for new people to join...and with your brothers in the shape that they are in, I'm afraid its either us or no one."

Marcus breathed deeply as he considered his options. Its not like he wanted to stay back with Edward, Boris, or Kane. They were all beneath him. He was destined for bigger things then they were. He had skills, brains, and strength. He was the best of them, he truly deserved more strength. If they were capable of giving the information about this Devil Fruit to Edward, they were the ones that could make him stronger. "Deal," agreed Marcus.

* * *

><p>I think I may have gotten a little bit carried away with the Edward's transformation...but I think it proves my point...never eat two Devil Fruits. While I personally have no idea about why the human body can't eat two Devil Fruits cause Oda never explained it in details, but the ones mentioned in this story are my best guesses...they make some sense...I think. Anyways, we finally see another Marine captain and this one seems to dislike Alexander straight from the get-go, let's see if he wants to have peace talks or insinuate war between them.<p> 


	35. Chapter 35 Discussion with the Marine

**Discussion with the Marine Captain**

Alexander and Specter had gathered in front of the captain's room waiting for Rina and Akane to show up. Specter was a twiddling with his thumbs, nervously. The recent destruction of the Marine Base basically guaranteed that whatever this new was it would be far from good. "I wasn't even called to the captain's room when I blew up half of the cafeteria with my experiments...but now when something happens that isn't at all my fault I get called in here and worse yet with Rina and Akane who don't even like me..."

Alexander remained quiet just simply tapping his foot on the floor waiting for his nakama and friend to arrive on the scene. Specter continued to fidget nervously, while Alexander remained quietly. Finally Alexander turned his attention over to Specter, "weren't you the one who said I should try to kiss Rina and call her my wife?" Specter jumped back shocked by what Alexander said, he quickly shook his head trying to diffuse the situation and keep Alexander from getting mad at him, he needed at least one friend in the captain's room and Alexander seemed like the only option for him. "Hmm. I could've sworn it was you," muttered Alexander as he returned his gaze down to his feet.

"Alexander! Specter!" yelled Rina as she walked up to the two of them standing there waiting, Hayate was at her heels. She quickly joined them at the door, "I couldn't seem to find Akane at all...I looked all over for her. I mean I went down to the beach, the inn, all the places I could've thought she went, but nothing. Hayate couldn't even sniff her out." Rina crouched down and gently scratched Hayate behind the ears as she explained her short journey around to find Akane to Alexander and Specter.

"Sounds like to me she is just trying to duck punishment," laughed Specter loudly. In reality though Specter secretly wished that he had thought of that, but now if he tried to dash out he'd go down as a huge chicken. Specter instead stood his ground and waited.

The minutes slowly began to pass as the trio waited outside for the Marine Captain to open the doors and welcome them in. Specter had sat down on the ground, which was still dirty from the recent attack. Rina remained crouched over petting Hayate. Alexander was up and active pacing around trying to calm his own nerves. His thoughts weren't on the impending the meeting, he kept thinking back to seeing them cart Edward's screwed up body out of the room and down to the morgue. They then found both Boris passed out in the mountains and moved him to a prison...they didn't make it to Kane in time and had to send him to the morgue as well. Marcus had somehow escaped.

The two doors finally creaked open. The same Marine that had killed Edward was standing there. He examined the three Marines before him and welcomed them in with nothing more then an angry grunt. "I guess we should go in, shouldn't we?" asked Alexander as he looked at his two partners. They nodded in agreement. All three of them remained standing out in the hall, none of them willing to make the first move. Alexander looked over Specter and Rina.

"Listen, Alexander," started Specter as he put his hand onto his shoulder, "you seem like the kind of guy I'd follow right into hell. I'd be with you every step of the way without ever looking back! But you are still going first!" shouted Specter as he pushed Alexander into the room. Alexander stumbled into the room, followed by both Specter and Rina shortly after.

There was only two seats in the room, naturally the Marine captain took it leaving the other three to fight over the other one. Specter dashed in and immediately sat down before either Rina or Alexander even noticed that there was two chairs missing. They both shrugged and figured fighting over a chair would be a stupid, childish thing to do. They decided standing suited them better.

The Marine captain spoke up first, "when I heard a Marine captain was coming to this island for some simple recon and research I was overjoyed...I thought I might be able to leave the island for a well-deserved vacation," Specter couldn't help but let a subtle chuckle out due to the Marine captain's frequent 'well-deserved vacations'. A simple glare from the Marine captain quickly silenced him. "I leave and come back and imagine what I find. A destroyed Marine base due to...due to...due to fuckin' mountain bandits? Really? My own men can't even handle those punks!"

"Well, to be fair sir," started Rina. The Marine captain turned his attention to her with a simple unpleased glare. Rina continued, "we-well, you see, the th-thing is the leader had a de-devil fruit and then, there was a gorilla of a man and...and...and then there was a gunslinger or so-something." The Marine captain continued glaring at her. Rina finally turned her gaze to the side and looked down, "I'm sorry sir." She refused to look the captain in the eyes now.

The captain looked back over to the other two people in the room, Alexander and Specter, who remained perfectly quiet asides from Specter shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Ahem," said the Marine captain as he cleared his throat, "as I was saying before the little girl interrupted me is that my own men were incapable of handling a small group of mountain bandits and we were nearly ransacked during this small fight even with the help of a fellow Marine captain and his...crew...if I could even one girl and her mutt that." Hayate growled at the Marine captain. "Four men rampaged through the city destroying precious things and nearly half of men..."

"Do you know where Akane is?" asked Alexander interrupting the captain without thinking. Rina and Specter both looked at him in disbelief. "I was just thinking that all four of us, the four people who stopped the rampaging mountain bandits, should be here for this and we can't find her." Specter hung his head down and sighed, apparently Alexander didn't quite understand that this was bad news that they were called up for.

The Marine captain bit his lip, unsure of how to continue. He didn't like the fact that not only did Alexander interrupt him he also stated that they stopped the mountain bandits. He sighed and resigned himself to the fate of the blasted idiotic captain, "she resigned this morning. Apparently she decided to look into the recent Taka operations on her own...going undercover and all. If we can return to the current issue..."

"What?" shouted Rina slamming both of her hands down on his desk, she immediately scurried back when the Marine captain glared at her again. "I'm sorry...I ju-just can't believe that she would leave without telling us...or at least me. I mean, I thought she would've say good-bye at the very least." She backed up and her gaze returned to her shoes.

The Marine captain huffed as he returned his attention off of the poor girl and back onto the task at hand, "let's focus on what I was saying rather then some girl leaving us without a good-bye. Let's just take a couple of steps back and let me speak about the...fine work you did. Honestly, if it was up to me I would fire all of you and send you back to the Marine academy to learn how to defend a Marine base when it is under attack...but sadly neither Alexander or Rina are under my payroll or jurisdiction, so I can't fire them..." his eyes locked onto Specter.

"Wha...what?" shouted Specter as he stood up, "I've worked hard to get here! I didn't just sit around and do nothing! Besides unlike the rest of this stupid Marine Base I actually faced someone and took them down! You can't fire me like that for this stupid reason! I've fought and won! I defended the Marine Base! You shouldn't fire me for doing my job! Fire some of the lame asses who got their asses whooped! I did my job!"

The Marine captain smiled as he slid a stack of paper along with a pen out of his desk and placed it on top, "insubordinate...talking back...destruction of a wall...anything else you want me to add onto your resignation letter?" he looked up at Specter. Specter slumped back into his seat. "If the three of you will now leave me be, I have some papers to file," he said as he waved the papers about in the air.

Specter sighed as he hung his head between shoulders and turned to leave. Rina left right out behind him, patting him on the back gently. "Did you talk this over with the higher ups?" asked Alexander. The Marine captain sighed and shook his head. "Okay then!" shouted Alexander as he walked over and picked up a Den-Den Mushi and called someone.

"What are you doing," muttered the Marine captain, "it takes at least a month or two to get through to them. I mean, Rear Admirals and above are always super busy. They have other things to do then to verify minor things like the firing of sub-par employees..."

"This is Veri Fresh talking," shouted the Den-Den Mushi. The Marine Captain turned his attention over to the Den-Den Mushi and paused. "Hey, Alexander, how is the fresh adventure going so far! I really wonder how your adventure was going, listen I have some things to tell you! Very important things so you might want to get ready."

"Actually, I would like to ask to have Specter Carambole transferred to my ship," stated Alexander. Specter and Rina stopped in their tracks and turned around. Alexander backed away from the Den-Den Mushi and looked at the people in room, "remember what he said? He can't fire you if you aren't under his jurisdiction or command. So, if you join my crew he can't fire you, can he?"

"Alexander," muttered Rina as she pulled on Alexander's coat and tugged him out of the way, "while I understand and appreciate what you are doing, but I think you need to think this through...he blew several holes in the Marine Base. If he does that while we are out at sea you will die. I think we need to step back and address this as a group,. Just me, you, and Hayate. He also has no idea about your...condition," stated Rina hinting at Alexander's very unique reason for living.

"DONE!" sung Veri Fresh as he returned to the Den-Den Mushi, "I have arranged everything! Only thing I'll need is Specter's signature and I'll be able to make the change official. You can send via mail bird. Until then I'll just treat it like everything else is normal and the such...anyways onto the things I want to tell you, they are very shocking and gruesome things so are you ready?"

"If the only thing you need is my signature, you can consider that done and done!" shouted Specter into the Den-Den Mushi blowing Veri Fresh away. Specter probably would've joined up with Alexander even if the captain wasn't going to fire him! Alexander was a fun guy to mess with and Rina wasn't that bad of a person, Specter smiled as he quickly wrote his name on the transfer papers the Marine Captain was holding, still dumbfounded by what was happening. Having the papers snatched from him seemed to shock him out of his stupor.

"Rear Admiral Veri Fresh!" he shouted as he stood up from his seat, "I understand that this is your decision and all, but I feel the need to report Specter's various behavioral problems. He has destroyed multiple walls in my Marine Base and the like, I do not feel comfortable with this man remaining in the Marines much less with someone as unqualified as Alexander!" Alexander stared over at the captain in disbelief, he was far from unqualified.

The Den-Den Mushi remained quiet and didn't respond to the captain's accusations. After a few moments of silence amongst the Marines, Veri Fresh responded, "how about a little competition then? I highly doubt there is any real way to show you that Alexander is qualified, so I guess the only thing to do is to have a fight and whoever wins gets their way. Sounds fair?"

The Marine Captain smiled and looked over at Alexander. He was dressed in a nice crisp, clean uniform...he saw him fight with Edward and he didn't even have the strength to finish it. It would be an easy fight. On top of that based on Alexander's file, he'd only been in the Marines for a little over a year and most of that was doing grunt work...then he was promoted to captain level almost in an instant...he couldn't have been that strong. "Yes. Perfectly fair," stated the Marine Captain with a Cheshire cat-like smile, "and if I win all three of them go back to the Marine academy and train for a whole year."

"I don't think it sounds all that fair," said Alexander into the Den-Den Mushi, "the guy looks like kind of weak..." The Marine Captain twisted his head over t Alexander and glared at him. Specter stifled a laugh while Rina shook her head at Alexander's stupidity.

* * *

><p>It looks like Edward's and Alexander's fight isn't going to be the last for this arc! On top of that Alexander's, Rina's, and Specter's job all rest on the line. Troubling things are ahead...but what about Veri Fresh's news? Well, we'll just have to sit through and read the next chapter. Not to mention about what's happening with Akane.<p> 


	36. Chapter 36 Just a lot of Bad News

**Just a lot of Bad News...**

Alexander and the opposing Marine Captain, Yuuki, were both situated in separate corners of the gymnasium. Just like the rest of the gym this was a terribly taken care of room. The lights were broken and destroyed. The only light they had was from a large hole in the ceiling. The floor was covered in dirt and mud and it looked like it was never cleaned. Rina kept having to check her leg as she could swear that a centipede or a cockroach was crawling up it.

Alexander was hunched forward in his chair. His head was hung between his shoulders, his mind was jumping around and probably focusing more on what Veri Fresh said then on the upcoming fight. Rina was worried as well, Veri Fresh had told everyone, but Alexander to get out of the room. He didn't want anyone else hearing the news, whatever it was. Rina felt kind of left out, since Alexander had heard about it and she was a dozen times more mature and level-headed then him, but looking at him now she felt kind of relieved. Alexander seemed to be really bothered by it.

His opponent, Yuuki, was sitting in the opposite corner. He had a smug grin as he stared over at Alexander, his focus completely on the fight. His large blade was tied to his back, he didn't seem to be worried about killing Alexander at all. As a matter of fact, Rina doubted that the thought had even crossed his mind. He was probably wishing he could kill him right now. Rina had no idea why he hated them so much, but he certainly did seem to have some sort of vendetta cut out for them.

The gong sounded. Yuuki didn't waste a single moment, he rocketed up from his seat. His seat was tossed a few feet away. Alexander was slowly, it took him a few moments to snap out of his fog and get onto his feet. Alexander couldn't even brace himself by the time Yuuki had already closed the distance. Yuuki brought the blunt end of his large blade smashing around and into Alexander's face knocking him down onto the ground. Alexander let out a brief moan as Yuuki brought himself around and prepared for another attack. He brought his sword around and aimed it downwards, bringing downwards at his opponent.

Alexander scrambled forward barely avoiding the downwards slash. He twisted around still on the ground as Yuuki lifted his sword up once more and back down at him. Alexander's entire body shifted into iron. Alexander brought his two hands together catching the blade. Yuuki glared down at him, his teeth grinding together, "I was a Marine for twenty years before I was promoted! I traveled around the world trying my god damn best! And then you waltz in and get promoted in less then a year! You become a captain in two months! And before that you were just freakin' washing floors! I was an all-around better candidate for Marine captain rank then you! And on top of that you can pick up a phone and just make a call to a REAR ADMIRAL! THAT SHOULD BE ME!" Yuuki slowly began applying more and more force onto Alexander. Alexander was in a terrible position to deflect the sword, much less move out of the way. He was flat on his back with a giant sword mere inches away from his face.

"Hey, listen," groaned Alexander as he tried to push the sword further away from his gut, "if you want Veri Fresh, you can have him. He's a bit of a freak! Honestly, you'd probably be doing me a favor if you take him off of my hands!" Yuuki ignored Alexander as he lifted his blade back up into the air and brought it right back down aiming for Alexander's neck. Alexander reached out and punched Yuuki in the stomach, temporarily halting his attack just long enough for Alexander to get back up onto this feet and back off.

Yuuki muttered something he twisted his sword around brought the hilt forward in a thrust. This was the first time Alexander paid attention to the hilt but at the end of it was not only a sharp point, but also a hook similar to a fishing hook. If the point went in the hook would make it a pain to get out. Alexander stepped back, but underestimated the long reach of the weapon. Yuuki moved his hand back closer to the blade to extend its reach. The point came smashing into Alexander's gut and if it wasn't for Alexander's iron body, the point would've easily have pierced his skin and killed him right there.

Alexander collapsed onto the ground. He was moving more sluggishly than normal. Ordinarily, he would've done won the fight especially against someone of this physical level, but his thoughts were still elsewhere. He couldn't focus on this fight. Veri Fresh's words were still ingrained in his mind.

(-Yesterday in the Marine Captain's room-)

"Okay, now that that is settled," shouted Veri Fresh effectively getting both Alexander's and Yuuki's attention, "I would have to ask that everybody, but Alexander leaves the room. I have some personal matters I need to talk to him with. And talking over the Den-Den Mushi certainly beats the time of a mail bird. So, please everyone leave."

Rina and Specter immediately backed off and turned towards the door. Neither of them wanting to go against a Rear Admiral, but Yuuki remained planted in his seat, "SIR! No offense, but this is my Marine Base and I am of the same rank as him! I thoroughly believe anything that can be said in his presence can very well be said in mine as well!"

Veri Fresh sighed, some Marines were just harder to deal with than others. "Please leave the room. Some things of the Marines just aren't meant for everyone...and this is one of those matters." Yuuki huffed as he stood up, he made his point there was no use in further arguing with a Rear Admiral. He worked hard to become a Marine Captain and he wasn't about to lose it due to some stupid insubordination. He left the room in a huff. Specter quickly followed.

Rina hung in the doorway for a few more seconds. If it was meant for Alexander and Alexander only, it must be something to do with the fact that the Marines were manufacturing humans. She was still on the fence about that and wanted to know more about it. As a Marine it was her job to promote justice, so if she doubted that what they were doing was for justice then she should do something to stop it. But if she stopped the Marines from creating these half-humans, half-weapons...what about Alexander? He was her captain...if this fact got out what would happen to him? If they stopped this Homunculus project thing, what would happen to Alexander.

Rina brought her head and noticed that Alexander was still patiently waiting for Rina to leave. Rina quickly bowed her head and left, she figured if this was something she was meant to hear Veri Fresh would've asked her to stay too or Alexander will tell her about it later. She took a quiet leave and closed the door behind her, but all the while they took she stayed right by the door trying her best to resist from listening in on their conversation. But she couldn't hear anything more then a couple of muffled words.

Veri Fresh started talking, "Alexander, I suppose I should start with some lighter news and then get into the stuff you probably don't want to hear about. Pura Pupuran, that weird girl you and Rina captured from Taka's organization during your last mission is being moved to an island for interrogation and questioning. I believe you may be able to garner some knowledge from it so I suggest you go there. I'll give you the directions if you want to." Veri Fresh still wasn't too enthusiastic on this matter, Alexander had never seen anybody do any form of interrogation, but still it was his choice.

"Thank you very much, sir," spoke Alexander enthusiastically. It wasn't very promising information as questioning never got very far most of the time. Rina would also be happy, she seemed pretty keen on her own mission about Pura Pupuran. Maybe they'd manage to dig that up as well. "It seems like things are starting to go my way now!" shouted Alexander with a thumbs up to the sky.

"Alexander..." muttered Veri Fresh his normal upbeat tone completely gone from his voice, "now onto the fact that will probably wipe that smile from your face. This is the reason I asked everyone to leave...the Marines aren't very good at leaving well enough alone, so after you they created a couple other artificial humans using the very same method that created you. For the sake of this conversation let's call them Mr. B and Mrs. C..."

"What does this have to do with me?" asked Alexander rudely. He had a little inkling that they would be others like him. Why would the Marines stop? This was a project to create the perfect Marine and as much as Alexander regretted saying it, he was far from that ideal Marine. They would create another ten or twenty until they got the ultimate human.

"A couple of months ago Mrs. C was assassinated...before you even set sail another one of your kind was killed," said Veri Fresh. With a heavy sigh he continued, "ordinarily we would've ignored this and chalked it up to bad luck, she was a Marine after all and in some corners of the world that is enough to have you killed...but then some of our scientists who worked on this Homunculus project started getting killed. We believe someone is out there trying to kill them...and since you are the flagship of this project within the Marines...you may be targeted as well."

"Right..." muttered Alexander. Again it wasn't any surprise, this project was a natural dividing line amongst the Marines who heard about it. Some of them believed that creating humans was wrong and others saw it as the next advancement among healing techniques and deserved more funding. Alexander turned back and faced the door, "what about the people who are with me?"

"They have no official ties to you," said Veri Fresh with a low voice, "they are your ship mates nothing more. Right now if they killed them, they might as well murder half of the Marines. Besides since this occurred we have hidden all possible hints that might lead to anyone believing you to be one of them. We are hiding you from all of their sights...okay? But keep your eyes out and try to stay alive."

Alexander nodded. Why does it seem like whenever he gets good news, bad news is always right behind it. He just got Rina and Specter on his crew, that seemed like good new, but now someone is trying to kill him. Life of a Marine, no?

"By the way," continued Veri Fresh, "About Specter. I'm going to trust your judgement on whether or not you should tell him...about your condition, but I highly advise against it and you should only do it if you trust him one-hundred percent. If his tongue slips even once on the outside world about your condition that will undo all of our hard work, got it?" Alexander agreed and hung up.

(-back in the gymnasium-)

Alexander was helpless before Yuuki's unrelenting attacks. Alexander was barely paying attention to Yuuki's rapid slashes and thrusts with his large weapon. A normal human probably would've had their guts ripped out twice and their arms sliced off three times. He just wasn't paying attention, his thoughts were on the assassin and also Taka. The interrogation was an important thing for him to go to, but what kind of questions was he going to ask her. He knew nothing about Taka, their protocol, or about their plans...what kind of questions do you ask?

Yuuki brought his sword around and down aiming for Alexander's neck. He was still lost in his thought so counterattacking or even dodging seemed impossible. "ALEXANDER!" screamed a woman's voice. Alexander pivoted about and brought his arm straight up and blocked the swing from Yuuki's blade. Yuuki grunted and began to insult Alexander from where he stood. Akane was over at the door looking on at the fight, "I've come to say good-bye!" Alexander's eyes were wide, he couldn't believe that Akane stayed. He thought she left when Yuuki told him about her. He didn't think he would see her again.

"What?" shouted Alexander as he couldn't hear anything over Yuuki shouting in his ear. Akane shouted again, but Alexander still couldn't hear her over Yuuki. Finally Alexander paused and turned around, "WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP!" shouted Alexander as he swung his iron fist into Yuuki's gut and knocking him down to the ground, Yuuki's eyes were wide as he passed out from the power behind that punch. "Finally...now what did you say?" asked Alexander as he ran over to Akane.

* * *

><p>OKAY! Big news all around! Honestly, I really, really, REALLY didn't think this arc would take as long as it did…or did it just seem like a long arc? Anyways, we now found out about the other Iron Hammer of Justices! Or the homunculus. Or the Justice Initiative. It has several names. Feel free to submit your own! On top of that it seems Alexander is being hunted! Things just seem to be going downhill for the crew.<p> 


	37. Chapter 37 Catching Akane

**Catching Akane**

Yuuki was tossed through the air by Alexander's hard as iron punch. Yuuki landed twisted on the ground, knocked unconscious by the seriously life-threatening fist of Alexander. Alexander quickly rushed over to Akane, ignoring the referee who was going over to congratulate him. "Akane!" shouted Alexander as he skidded forward and wrapped his arms around her, spinning her about in the air. "I thought you left us! Now that you are back, you can join our crew as well!"

"Alexander..." said Akane with a downtrodden voice as she hung her head and pushed Alexander away and out of his arms, "I'm sorry...but...I can't accept your offer." She turned her back to him and took a few steps. She was dressed differently rather then her normal flashy clothing, she was wearing a black suit that clung to her body. Her entire being seemed different. She seemed depressed and sad.

"If its about Specter, I can fire him and hire you instead," declared Alexander as he took another couple of steps forward for Akane. Specter growled and took out his Pop Grenade Launcher and took aim at Alexander. Rina quickly pressed it away. Alexander pivoted around and in front of Akane, but Akane twisted away.

"Its not about him..." she said with a heavy sigh, "I've decided that I'm going to my absolute best to help your investigation...even if that means being away from you...er, you guys. I'm going undercover for the Marines in the Taka organization. I haven't done any flashy missions since joining up with the Marine, so they shouldn't know anything about me and the Marines. I'm going to join up with Taka and gain as much information about them as I possibly can! Hopefully, with that information we will be able to take them down and, maybe then...if the offer is still open I can join your crew!" Akane turned back and faced Alexander, the depression was still in her voice, but there was a twinge of hope there as well.

"Are you serious?" asked Alexander with a serious tone. He hadn't seen Akane fight, but he didn't feel safe with her going to join Taka. "That's just ridiculous! What the heck are you expecting me to say about something like that? Its one of the worse ideas in the world!" Akane looked shocked and backed away slowly. Alexander continued shouting at her, "I mean, what would make you think I would let that happen?"

"I...I thought you wanted me to..." began Akane a little bit side-tracked. She had no idea that Alexander had instead decided to reply to the proposal of her going and joining up with Taka rather then her joining his crew after that. She had thought that everything he had said was trying to get her not to join his crew.

"Why the heck would I want that?" replied Alexander with a huff, completely oblivious to the fact that he and Akane were on two separate subjects. "Its irresponsible and just plain stupid!" Akane cringed as Alexander took a step forward.

"FINE!" she shouted as she stepped forward and launched a punch directly into Alexander's face, knocking him backwards and onto his butt. "Don't ever come and talk to me again, you...you...YOU ASS!" Akane turned around and raced out of the room, she didn't even stop when Specter or Rina shouted at her.

Alexander stood there dumbfounded as he watched her run out. "Was it something I said?" asked Alexander as he walked forwards toward Rina. Rina looked over at him and shook her head in pity. "No?" stated Alexander misunderstanding Rina's head shake, "then why did she run out? Hmm, maybe it was something you did?"

Rina brought her palm to her face. "Alexander...I think Akane thought that all those mean things you said were in response to her asking you if she could join the crew after she got done in Taka, not when she was in Taka." Rina had understood the exchange of those two after the first couple of lines. She hated to admit it, but it was probably partially due to the fact that she KNEW that Alexander was going to royally screw it up.

"...crap..." muttered Alexander as the final pieces fell into place. Absolutely everything he did say did kind of fit into the idea of her joining the crew. Not quite, but taken in the wrong context and if Akane was emotionally off-balance like due to a fight or leaving the Marines, when she didn't want to it made perfect sense. "I got to go catch up to her." Alexander was about to bolt off in the direction after Akane, but Specter quickly stopped him.

"Wait, a moment there captain," said Specter with a broad smile as he politely patted Alexander on the back. "Since you royally suck at talking to women...and more then likely men while we are the subject, I feel the need to give you some pointers, okay?" Alexander nodded. He had already gained some pointers from Veri Fresh back at the Marine base, but he definitely needed more. "There is one sure-fire way to win over a woman. What you need to do is get down on one knee and say 'will you marry me?' It'll definitely calm..." Rina pulled Specter back and down onto the floor. She quickly stepped on top of him and placed one of her shoes over his mouth to silence him.

"Ignore everything he just s-said," muttered Rina with the utmost serious expression on her face. "Ignore everything he just said. Ignore everything he ever told you about g-girls before and just go out there and say...just say...say the exact opposite of what you would normally say!" Rina shouted with the utmost pride of figuring out the perfect way to make Alexander into someone who could win Akane back. Then again... "no wait!" shouted Rina as she grabbed onto Alexander's shirt and pulled him back. She knew Alexander and he was say something like 'I hate you' with that information. "Just...say something that comes from...your heart?" She let go of Alexander. There was nothing she could say that would make Alexander talk intelligently to Akane. She just gave up and gave Alexander the go ahead.

Alexander nodded and raced off to find Akane. He thought of all the places Akane would go to. His first thought was the harbor. If she was going off to join Taka she'd need to get on a ship and leave immediately, but was she still going to? She said she was going to join Taka to help Alexander's investigation, however, with her now hating Alexander would she still go? His next thought was the hotel he had rented for Rina...Akane could go there and sleep, bury her head in the pillow and the like with no more prying eyes. Maybe to the diner where they met? Several of the locations on the island came to mind, but none of them seemed to be more likely then the previous one.

Alexander ran to the first place his mind thought of, the docks. He barreled past the innocent bystanders forcing them to the side as he made his path to the docks. He still wasn't sure about the chances of her being there, but if she was then she could leave any second...as long as she didn't get on a ship, he could find and apologize to her whenever. He just needed to find her.

Alexander arrived back at the dock. It was just as busy as it was when he first had arrived. Numerous shopkeepers all boasting about their jewels were gathered around. Alexander was stopped in his tracks as he watched a near infinite wave of people come in as a new ship came into dock. The people were all shoulder-to-shoulder, there no room for him to run through. Alexander's eyes locked onto the passenger ship that came into the dock...it would be the best way for Akane to escape off of the island, especially if she wanted to meet with a Taka member. There would be a lot of different and diverse people on the ship, an assassin from a dangerous organization would just blend right in and never be found. If they met now who knows what Taka could do...use a smaller boat to ferry her away...blow up the ship...there was an endless list of what they could do that would make it impossible for Alexander to see Akane again.

Alexander continued to stare through the crowed. He charged through regardless of the bystanders, he continued to shout 'Marine Business' charging through. The crowd soon parted and allowed him to get through. Alexander didn't slow even as he finally stepped foot on the ship. He looked around him, frantically trying to find Akane. Finally, his eyes locked on her. She was on the ship, her back turning on him.

"I WANT YOU TO JOIN MY CREW!" shouted Alexander as he took another step forward looking up at Akane, "when you are done with whatever it is you are going to do! You should join my crew! Me, you, Rina, and Specter! We'd be the number one Marine crew out there. No matter what!"

Akane never turned around nor did she acknowledge him. Even though she wanted to turn around and say something back, she didn't. Anything she did know could be seen by Taka. Any movement could sell her out as traitor, a spy, or an informant. She kept her eyes forward and disappeared into the ship's hold. As soon as she got into her own room, she dropped to the floor and shouted "Its a deal!" While the doors definitely muffled the sound somehow Alexander got it.

Alexander smiled and flipped his beret around. "Yes, it is." Alexander turned around, but he bumped into someone. Both of their hats came off and onto the floor. Alexander rubbed his head and looked over at the person who had bumped into him. The man was dressed in a white suit and even the hat that came off of his head was white. Alexander quickly stood up and handed the white hat to the man. "Sorry, about that. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

The man dressed in white accepted the hat and placed it back on his head. He then handed Alexander's hat back to him, "don't worry about it. It was my fault completely, you had your back turned to me there was no way you would be able to see me." He was being followed by another man who kept his head down and a large hat pulled down over his face. The man in white smiled and quickly boarded the ship without much else to say. Both of them quickly disappeared into his own room.

He leaned back against his bed and smiled. "Marcus...you are fine now. Remove that ridiculous hat from your face." His partner nodded and removed his hat. "Talk about your bad luck. We didn't count on a Marine arriving here, much less one that saw your face. I guess we are lucky that we noticed him and that one of the nearby stalls was selling a hat that could hide your face."

Marcus muttered something beneath his breath as he tossed the hat into the trash and stomped on it. "I understand all of that, but why did you have to freakin' bump into him. I mean, we are taking a big enough of a risk just by walking around! We are both wanted criminals!"

"Don't lump me in with you and your brothers," said White as he sat down on the bed. He opened up one of his bags and produced a small Den-Den Mushi. "I am an elite assassin. I have killed over 100 men with my bare hands and another 500 with guns and rifles and, yet, I have a bounty of zero. How is that possible? Simple, I have never been caught. Several members of Taka boast a similar repertoire of skill, so its not too surprising, but only one of us was a criminal and he was hiding his face."

Marcus shrugged and sat down next to him. "So, what's up with the Den-Den Mushi? Got to call in and tell them how this mission went or something?" Marcus leaned over closer to White's Den-Den Mushi and looked at it.

"I'm telling them to come pick you up," stated White. "I have found me another target to eliminate. He was an unwanted piece in my mission. If my calculations are off by even as much as one person, my plan can fall apart and I don't want that. So, it makes sense that I would have a certain amount of hatred for him." White's expression turned completely serious, "But more importantly then that...he is a danger to Taka."

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><p>Seriously, this was a long arc. I mean, its over 20 chapters long! That's like two or my other arcs. Anyways, Akane is leaving to join Taka, but the question is will she come back alive? And now White seems to have taken an unhealthy interest in Alexander (unhealthy for Alexander anyways). Oh, well, with that this Arc is over and the next Arc shall begin soon!<p> 


	38. Chapter 38 Alexander's Choice

**Alexander's Choice...**

**Rumors of the Next Island?**

Alexander was still debating at telling the rest of his crew. He was in the male soldier's quarters all by himself. His two crew mates were off doing something else. They had told him what they were going to do if he needed them, but he didn't really listen to either one of them. He wanted to tell them about being a target for assassination, but was that such a smart decision? Specter was still ignorant to the why. Specter still believed him to be a normal human, not one that was made in the lab using an iron mace and a Devil Fruit. Chances are if he told Specter about being the target, he would also have to tell him about being a homunculus. A tightly kept secret amongst the Marines, only a few of the Vice Admirals knew about it and Veri Fresh was the only Rear Admiral.

Alexander pushed that thought out of his mind. The other secret he was keeping was about their current destination. He gave Rina the coordinates and left it up to her, but he didn't tell her that they were going off to witness an interrogation of someone they caught. Rina also seemed to have an interest in her other then the Taka organization...if Alexander told her what kind of questions would that raise for her? Would kind of mood would it put her in? Would she be anxious to see the person get interrogated and examined for all possible clues? If she was then that would definitely be a problem for them...it would have to be filed, not to mention the reason why would also have to be uncovered and Alexander didn't want to delve into her past any more then necessary. The further he delved into her past, the further they'd delve into his.

Then there was also the case of his own assassination being ordered. His nerves were already being overworked just trying to figure out how much information to divulge to his subordinates, but having to worry about being killed was another problem. Ordinarily, he wouldn't have been worried in the slightest. He took on one pirate captain, a gang leader, two assassins, and a Devil Fruit wielding Mountain Bandit and he was still alive. But his survival was due to his artificial metal body, his opponent took down another person with the same body type as him, so he was in trouble.

The person they took out was Mrs. C...Alexander really wished he would've asked Veri Fresh for more information about her and the assassin. The only information Alexander garnered from Veri Fresh was another one of his kind died, they don't know who did it, and whoever it was was coming after him, too. He didn't even know the name of the person who died or how she died. Was it a sniping? A surprise attack? Did she fall into the water and die? Did she eat a Devil Fruit? Alexander was racking his brain trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together, to calm down and find an answer to any of the questions he came up with. Or how to get those answers.

The mail bird with the finishing papers for Specter's transfer already came and gone, he was an official member of Team Alexander. In other words, it would be awhile until they came across another mail bird who could get the message out to Veri Fresh. Then Alexander would have to wait for Veri Fresh to get the message, have time to respond to it, and then get the mail bird to deliver to back to him. Alexander's head hung between his shoulders.

Outside the door, both Rina and Specter stood. They had just finished making a quick meal for lunch and neither have seen Alexander since breakfast. They had waited for Alexander to come down and eat lunch for awhile, figuring he would just come down on his own, but it was hours past Alexander's lunchtime. Most military people had some sort of schedule, Alexander had a morning routine as well as time set aside for meals. When he missed it they originally shrugged it off, until about two hours after his scheduled lunch break they came back and found his portion of the lunch was still tucked away untouched.

Now, though, neither of them could open the doors. They both stood outside staring at the door like two idiots. There was a weird sort of pressure around the room. It was similar to the sort of pressure that was present during a meeting. It made people keep quiet, unless spoken to. It was if they did anything from talking to sneezing to just dropping a pin they would be interrupting something of extreme importance.

Specter snapped out of the hypnotic effects that was present and began to walk away. Rina reached out and grabbed onto his coat and pointed back at the door. She was holding Alexander's meal in her hands. She had intended to bring it to him and remind him not to skip a meal, he probably still hadn't recovered from the line of skipped meals when he was held hostage in the mountains, but she was frozen out in the hallway afraid to knock on the door and disturb Alexander. He wasn't the kind for heavy thinking and this pressure was almost impossible for him, so that just diverted her further.

Specter frowned as he looked at the door. He snapped his fingers and produced his Pop Grenade Launcher along with a Pop Grenade and loaded it. He aimed at the door, Rina punched him and knocked him down. Specter fell to the floor and there was a loud smash as he hit the floorboards. Both Rina and Specter flinched as the pressure around them broke. The door swung open slowly as Alexander stepped out.

"Uhm...you forgot to eat lunch," said Rina as she held out the small meal. Alexander looked around for the time and sighed as he noticed she was right. He accepted the meal. Alexander paused and then began to speak again, "I have something to tell you all, I'll see you in the kitchen in twenty minutes." Alexander went back into the room to eat.

Rina and Specter both looked at each other as they thought about what it was that Alexander wanted to talk about. The intense pressure worried them, it made them really freak out about what he had to talk about. He missed lunch by such a long period that whatever it was that he was thinking about it must've been something very serious.

They both assumed it had something to do with Veri Fresh's talk. They knew nothing about the talk, but they both knew something had happened. If it was nothing then the fight against Yuuki would've been finished with the first blow. Rina knew Alexander was going to tell them about it eventually. She expected it would be by a total accident, rather then in such a serious conversation. She looked over at Specter, his first time on the ship and already there is going to be a problem.

Come to think of it, Specter had no idea about Alexander's 'condition'. Was that what the conversation was going to be about? She didn't think that was a good idea. Specter didn't seem like someone who could keep a secret. It seemed like he would end up blabbing the secret right off the back to the first Marine he saw. But that wasn't what the news was, Veri Fresh wanted to talk to Alexander alone even before he mentioned Specter joining the crew. Rina was growing more and more anxious waiting to here what Alexander had on his mind.

Specter was even more nervous. If Veri Fresh's conversation had included him then Veri Fresh would've asked for him to come in as well, so Specter didn't have to worry about any topics revolving around that subject, the problem would be if it was anything else. If it did, then Specter was definitely in trouble. He bit his lip. He knew any complaints would be aimed directly at him, he was the newest member of the crew and as much to his dislike he was also the lowest rank amongst them. He didn't think he would be the crew's punching bag, he had expected someone like a shy cabin boy to be amongst them, someone he could push around and have under him, but no...his two crew members were Alexander and Rina, and they were both more then capable at handling themselves around him. With his low rank and seniority on the crew, he was the bottom dog.

Rina and Specter were both nervously awaiting Alexander to finish. Sure enough when the twenty minutes were up and Alexander gathered them, both of them were sweating. The pressure from before had returned and this time it was aimed at both Specter and Rina. Neither of them felt too safe right now as they took their seats opposite from Alexander. Rina glanced down at Hayate who was down at her feet like always. The intensity of the situation hadn't slipped by him either, and he let loose a quiet whine to let Rina know.

"Well," began Alexander breaking the silence of the room with that word. "I should start off by telling you about our next destination. On our last mission we captured a member of Taka, Pura Pupuran, they have taken her into a close-by Marine Base for quest-" Alexander's words were cut off as Rina shouted.

"We're g-going to be interrogating her?" repeated Rina, "are we going to be allowed to ask her our own questions?" Her mind had already ignored the tension as she thought about meeting with Kano again. The last time she said that he was off in the New World, but there was twelve of those jewels that he stole from her family, who knew if all of them were still in his possession. The last time she met with Pura Pupuran she just asked about Kano, this time she would ask about the jewels of the zodiac. She needed to get as much information as possible from her during the interrogation.

Alexander shrugged. "We are going to be allowed to sit in and watch the interrogation, but I'm not sure..." Alexander's words wandered off. Specter had a dead serious look on his face as he stared across the table at Alexander. "What?"

"I thought we were heading in that direction toward Itoko Island...but if we are going there to witness an interrogation there's no doubt," said Specter as he sunk down into his chair. "On that island is the son of demon...if you want to talk about fear...interrogation...torture...he's the number one in the world. Thirty eight days...he tortured someone for thirty eight nonstop days."

"That's just impossible," stated Alexander, "the Marines aren't like that. There is no way the higher-ups in the government would allow a prisoner to be tortured for twenty eight days before letting him go."

"Nope..." corrected Specter as he adjusted his view down to his feet, "the prisoner wasn't let go. He didn't even die from the torture, HE wouldn't allow that...after thirty eight days one of the officers overseeing the interrogation took pity on the prisoner and shot him. He is one of the dirty secrets amongst the Marines. A master at interrogation and torture...he was born an orphan and made into a slave...his 'master' disappeared and for some reason he was allowed to join the Marines."

"Those are just rumors," said Alexander trying to change the tone of the conversation. "No human is possible of being that cruel. Its just a rumor. When something or someone becomes famous rumors like these spread. Its just not true..."

"Maybe, but its a pretty popular rumor and it is believable too. Prisoners don't just talk about their old connections. Torturing exists and if it exists then someone somewhere will take it to extremes, and that guy is Dante Fumes."

Alexander paused. The name was familiar. He probably did hear about him entering the Marines through some weird process, so he was famous. Rumors would start, but would the Marines actually allow the torture of a single prisoner to go on that long? Alexander was already starting to dread the upcoming weeks.

"Is that all, A-Alexander?" asked Rina finally managing to calm down her thoughts about Kano. She was still fidgeting a bit with nervous anticipation of gathering more information, but she was capable of holding it in now.

Alexander looked up at her and paused. He hadn't decided on whether or not to tell them about his hunters...if he was going to, now would be the time. He looked up at his two crew members. Specter was still looking down at his shoes, his thoughts focused on the upcoming psychopathic torturer they were going to meet and Rina, who was busy thinking about the person who was going to be tortured. Neither of them looked like they were mentally ready to hear about the people out to kill them, Alexander sighed and muttered, "no, that's all."

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><p>Just a chapter to build up suspense for the next Arc. We also see the crews' thoughts regarding the next arc and the interrogation that's coming up. Other then that just keep calm and prepare for the upcoming.<p> 


	39. Chapter 39 Geyser Elevators?

**Geyser Elevators?**

**The Unforeseen Trap!**

The island was unique. All three of them highly doubted that there was another island in the world like it. The island was split into two separate parts, two levels. the first level was a basic island. There were a few shops located around, but there were also huge pillars supporting the second level. There were no staircases leading up to the second level, but there were small boxes located amongst the island with support beams that were lifted into the air by powerful geysers causing them to rise to the second level.

They all paused as they watched one of the geysers exploded and lift the box into the air. They stood still, watching the geyser keep the box in the air for a few minutes, before the geyser slowly started to lower itself back to the ground. Finally the geyser was cut off completely and the box fell the remaining ten feet to the ground. There was a small thud and immediately people ran over to it to check on the people who were inside. They all got out and after some fussing over them, they left without any real injuries.

"That looks like fun," shouted Alexander as he walked forward towards one of the boxes. Rina grabbed onto him and stopped him. "Come on, the Marine Base is on the second level of the island. We need to go up there and get to the interrogation room."

"I agree," said Rina, rationally, "but the geysers here go off on different times and some of them are a little safer then others." Rina looked around, she pointed to one of the boxes that were far away. "see that one way over there." The box was painted green and a red circle on it with small red lines cutting through it. "Green boxes are the safest boxes, okay. Then there are blue boxes, then yellow boxes, and finally red boxes. The red circle on the side states what time it runs."

"That box doesn't leave for another hour," complained Alexander as he examined it from a distance. Alexander quickly began pivoting his head side to side, "that red one over there goes in ten minutes!"

"RED ONES AREN'T SAFE!" shouted Rina putting her foot down onto the ground, "we are trying to make it up onto the second level in one piece, not in one casket. Why do they even have the red boxes? Only idiots would try to go in there..." Rina faced Alexander, "WE ARE NOT GETTING IN ONE!"

"I have to agree with the little lady," said Specter as he walked up next to the two of them, "I'm all for the big-risk-big-reward options, but this is big-risk-big-chance of death! Not at all my kinds of odds, so we should just hang out here. Speaking of odds, think they have a casino here? There wasn't any on my old islands, and I'm feeling a bit lucky now!"

"I don't see why you'd be interested in gambling and losing your money and all," muttered Rina. Specter glared over his shoulder at her. "I mean, you were so freaked out over Dante Fumes and now you are just shrugging it off and wanting to go off gambling?"

"Think about it," explained Specter, "people go to this island to be interrogated, so they have bad luck! This means that all of the good luck they should've had has to go somewhere, well that somewhere will be me! So, I'm going to go win at the casinos! Want me to place any bets for you guys?" Specter held out his hands expecting them to put money into them. When neither of them gave him money, he shrugged and went off whistling.

"What are you going to do for the hour wait?" asked Rina as she looked over at Alexander. Alexander was gone racing off towards the red box that was departing shortly. "Alexander!" Rina started to take off after him, but then realized how far he had gotten and stopped. For some reason she felt like she was the only one being serious about this mission.

Alexander was crouched down in the small box. The floors and walls were padded with cushions. Along with the cushions there were some straps attached to the wall as well. Strangely enough nobody else was in the box. There was low-pitched ringing as the ground began to shake. The geyser exploded lifting the metal box into the air.

Alexander paused as he felt the bottom of the metal box heat up. Alexander suddenly remembered the fact that a geyser was basically just exploding hot water and metal conducts heat extremely well. He was starting to think about how Rina called this box was extremely dangerous, he thought it just meant that it would fall off to the side and crash. He didn't need to worry about that, his entire body was made of metal a fall like that would barely faze him. But since metal conducts heat, that mean his metal body would just attract more and more heat in here and he would feel every degree of that heat. His normal human body would be burned though.

He was starting to feel the heat to eat through his shoes. Alexander looked over to the straps, he quickly grabbed onto them and lifted himself into the air. He pressed his feet against the cushions and stared in the air watching as the bottom of the floor begin to heat up. Alexander was frozen as his eyes never left the ground. He was expecting the cushions to burst into flames. The walls were starting to heat up as well. Alexander was starting to wish he had waited for the green box to become available and working.

The geyser was still bursting into the air. Alexander was surprised that with the speed of the geyser he still hadn't hit the top. Alexander looked to the side, there weren't even any windows in the red box to allow them to see outside and check out how high they had gone. It was probably to stop people from freaking out. It was doing the exact opposite in this case. Alexander was growing impatient as the geyser rose higher and higher and the temperature of the metal box kept climbing.

Finally, there was a short ringing in the metal box. Alexander let out a sigh of relief. The ringing signaled that they at the top of the metal box. Alexander stepped forward, his feet touched the hot bottom floor and he let out quiet grunt of pain. Alexander stepped forward and grabbed onto the door and pushed. The door held fast and didn't even budge. Alexander froze as he pushed harder, but the door still remained closed shut. The door was still locked. The locking mechanism didn't come undone when he reached the top of the geyser. Alexander began to panic as the geyser was still burning up the bottom of the base.

Things were just going from bad to worse. The metal box began to drop as the geyser began to die down and slowly start to drop. "Crap!" shouted Alexander as he turned around. Even if he survived the fall if the door didn't unlock itself, it would be pointless. He would just be lifted back into the air in a burning hot metal box. Alexander grunted as he prepared a punch. If the door wouldn't open normally, he would just have to force it open. Alexander spun forward and launched a powerful punch directly into the red box smashing it wide open. Alexander grunted as the realization of the speed they dropping at hit him. He saw the columns that held up the second level were moving faster then he expected. The geyser was shut off completely. There was no slowing down and slowly letting the metal box drop, it was gone completely. It was a free fall!

Alexander was standing still and prepared for it. The falling speed made it worse almost impossible to move, the increased speed was just bearing down on him. Alexander grunted and moved to the side. If the metal box collided with the ground, it would collapse on him. Sending sharp metal shards into his body. Alexander's body turned back to his normal human skin once more as he leapt from the box.

Alexander crouched his body as he slowly began to fall down to the earth again. Alexander flinched as the earth began moving in even faster. If he retained his metal body his weight would've been much greater and the fall would've been worse as well. This way it would be all about the timing. Alexander prepared as the ground got close. His entire body changed into a super hard metal body. He felt the impact with the ground and his entire body smash into it, the ground coming up around him. His eyes closed as his heavy body slammed into and buried himself into the ground. He continued to sink as the velocity of the fall hadn't worn off yet.

Alexander finally felt himself come to a stop. He sighed as he stood up. His entire body was still shaking with a slight mix of fear and adrenaline. He was back where he started, except this time he had a destroyed metal box on his side. Destroying other people's properties was really becoming a bad habit of his. Alexander shrugged and headed over to the nearby green box which was going to depart in an hour. He couldn't shake the memory of the door. Even the red boxes should've been maintained and taken care of, they shouldn't have any problems, especially not one as big as not opening.

Alexander scratched his head as he thought about it. Sealing a metal box? Especially since no one on this island would be risky or...stupid enough to do something like ride in it. They knew it would be problematic and dangerous enough so they wouldn't ride it. So why sabotage it? Only impatient travelers like Alexander would get it in it. Alexander shook it off and walked over to the green box. He quickly flashed his badge to the onlooking workers. They bowed their heads and left.

Alexander checked out the metal box and looked it over. He closed the door and then tried to open it again. The door jammed shut just like the other one. No matter how hard he struggled, the door wouldn't open. Alexander sighed he turned around and faced the workers. He paused as he immediately noticed one of them was gone. Alexander's head went frantically from side-to-side as he scanned the horizon. His eyes finally locked on the missing worker. He was freaking out as he tried to toss his uniform to the side, but couldn't as the coat got stuck on his head.

Alexander took off after him. The worker finally got his uniform off and turned around to notice Alexander racing towards him. His eyes widened as he began to try to run faster. Alexander smiled. He had trained like crazy ever since he was 'born', catching up to the guy would be absolutely nothing. Alexander quickly closed in on him as he took off. The guy new it as well as he began to toss small objects backwards at Alexander. Alexander simply swatted them out of his face. Finally Alexander caught up to him. Alexander jumped forward, crashing down into the guy. Alexander twisted him around just in time to see the man pop a small blue pill into his mouth and swallow.

The man's mouth began to foam. His head fell down onto the ground. He had died. It was a cyanide pill. Alexander remained crouched over the dead man's body. He was definitely the man who stopped the doors from opening, but again Alexander was left with the question of why? What was so important about stopping the elevators and killing anyone who entered? Especially if it warranted the man committing suicide just to stop them from finding out about it.

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><p>SABOTAGE! Question is for who? If you ignore the one exciting thing that happened during this chapter then we got Specter off gambling, Rina killing time, and Alexander making trouble. I have also updated the character submission form in Chapter 1 due to some common problems when people submit characters hopefully this will fix it, Devil Fruit Abilities has been added. Then I added a special island submission form to it as well due to an idea from a reviewer (Labyrinth-Designer).<p> 


	40. Chapter 40 Possibility of a Punch

**The Meeting!**

**The Possibility of a Punch!  
><strong>

Alexander, Rina, and Specter were all gathered in the green box. The management crew quickly fixed it up and corrected the problem. Alexander didn't tell Rina or Specter about the early mishap, he didn't want them to freak out any more then they already were. Rina still didn't trust the box to carry them to the top floor without crashing and Specter was still uncomfortable with the thought of meeting Dante. The box definitely seemed to be unnerving and it was even more questionable about whether or not the box was safe to begin with.

Specter on the other hand was extremely happy. His theory apparently turned out to be right on the dot. He had won a couple thousand belies in just under an hour. He wouldn't allow either Alexander or Rina to ignore it either. The fact that both of them seemed to be more focused on a different subject didn't seem to bother him. He just kept bringing up the fact about his winnings, every chance he got he would mention them.

Finally the geyser began. Alexander let out a breath of relief as the geyser didn't start to heat up the box, proving that this box was built later then the red one and was about ten thousands times safer. The geyser soon arrived at the top, the three of them quickly stepped out and onto solid ground. It felt weird being a couple of stories in the air with nothing more then column supporting them.

According to the history of the island, original a geyser erupted and lifted an island up here as well brought some rocks up to form the columns to form a two story island. Over the year, Marines decided to reinforce the columns. It made a perfect lookout to see if any pirates were coming at them. It was a genius location for that reason alone. The Marine base was another genius move though. There was a building above ground and then there was even an elevated bottom for the Marine Base that hung down beneath the second story. There was only one way to get there and that was through the Marine Base and no doubt they had a secret way of getting away from there.

Compared to the other bases they went to this one was...normal. It wasn't rich and fancy like the one Veri Fresh stayed at, but it was also vastly improved from the one with Yuuki. The base was only one floor and it as massive. The building had a fresh coat of white and several blue seagulls painted around it. Despite it appearing to be an average Marine Base it was still odd. It was a little overdone. It was like it was shouting that it was a Marine Base. There were more seagulls painted on it, then usual...there were more flags, more decorations, more everything. It seemed odd to think that a demon was lurking in the base.

The guards were also unusually stiff. They wore the standard Marine uniforms. They checked each and every one of Alexander's, Rina's, and Specter's passes to make sure not a one of them were trying to sneak in. It was an understandable precaution considering they had an agent from a big name assassination group ready to be interrogated.

As soon as the three stepped into the base. The doors behind them slammed shut. The three of them froze in the hall. The hallway was completely dark with only torches on the wall providing a bit of light. A young lady walked up to them and bowed shortly, "follow me," she said calmly.

"This is straight out of a horror movie," muttered Specter as he looked side-to-side examining each torch. "I mean we are heading down into a dungeon to meet one of the worst men possible and watch him torture someone. And now I can't even see the staircase to run out of here as fast as possible."

"Hayate-kun, stay close," said Rina as she looked down at Hayate, who was shivering in fear as well.

"Please excuse us," said the woman, "the master of this Marine Base is dreadfully allergic to sunlight so we have barred off all of the windows to make him feel as comfortable as possible." She paused as she looked back over her shoulders at them, "He lives, eats, and sleep here. He rarely ventures outside. Its a sad way to live life with your only visitors being prisoners to be tortured or the Marines that bring them here. He puts on a brave face, but I think deep down he is really actually quite sad..."

"KE ke ke ke KE!" laughed a young voice. Alexander, Specter, and Rina all flinched as they heard it. They all shared a look of disbelief as the young lady opened a door to reveal a young man, only in his twenties. He had short light golden hair and dreadfully pale skin. He stopped laughing as he turned around and faced his three visitors, "surprise! You must be the Marines sitting in on today's session. Nice to meet you! I am Dante Fumes. I am 5'9, 150 pounds, I'm a Sagittarius, my blood type is AB, and I like long walks on the beach."

Saying the man was putting on a brave face was a little hard to believe. He seemed to be just plain cheery even as he was preparing to torture someone. Not to mention his overly informational introduction. Alexander stepped forward, "we are..."Alexander began, but Dante Fumes cut him off.

"Alexander, Rina, and Specter," he interrupted, "I know everything about you fellows. I like gathering information before an interrogation. Knowing what makes your target tick is put of a game. You got to know how to make them open up to your question and pain doesn't always do it!" Although through that chat even at the end Dante had a smile on his face. "Anyways, now that you are here we can begin! Oh, and please excuse anything I may do, I'm not used to having an audience. Not many people are into watching torture scenes!" Dante spun around walked off towards the stairs that led downwards.

Specter was the only one in the group who had the slight trepidation in his steps, he moved slower then the other two. Rina would've had it as well in this situation if it wasn't for her will to gain and drag the knowledge out of Pura Pupuran wasn't moving her forward with even faster feet than Alexander. Alexander was also weary he couldn't remove his eyes from Dante. He didn't like the guy, it was a natural response when you hear someone talk as cheery as him before doing something as gruesome as this.

Dante was walking in front of them, he kept his back to them at all times. He was currently biting on his fingernail. Their visit had never slipped from his mind, he was thinking about them ever since he got the message that they'd be sitting on his session. The research he did on them was preliminary checking to make sure they weren't spies and which one he had to watch out for. Rina and Specter's files had been as expected, no abnormalities amongst them. Rina's had some problems with the beginning, but seeing as they had none of her actual records and everything that was written in it was from a little girl's view and another Marine officer who knew nothing of her past, it was expected. Specter's was dreadfully boring, no traumatic incidents...no pirates killing his parents...nothing that made him stand out from the average citizen aside from his betting habits and weapon expertise. No, those two were average, Alexander's on the other hand was odd.

Three years ago there was a sudden change in the writing style. Everything beyond three years ago was as simplified and non-detailed as possible. If Alexander was asked about his past, he could say anything and that would fit perfectly into his history. However, three years ago that non-detailed history disappeared. It became concise and elaborate. It put Dante at ease, Dante could put together everything about Alexander's past three years, but beyond that...he was next to clueless. Having a lack of information about someone was one of the few things that annoyed Dante. He would get to the bottom of his history...even if he would have to torture him.

"We still have another hour left before they finish up the formalities," stated Dante as they continued to walk down the stairs. "Before we torture her we have to make sure she won't tell us anything about her past without it. You know, make sure it is necessary. How about during that time we get to know each other better?"

"Sure. Why don't you tell us about that person you tortured for thirty-eight straight days just to get some information out of her?" asked Alexander without even thinking. He needed to know about it...nothing else he heard about Dante had made itself more prominent in his memory then that.

Dante was lucky his back was still to them. Because if it wasn't, they would've seen his eye-twitch in anger. He had lost the initiative, he didn't like that. He couldn't dodge it or else they would refuse to answer his questions, he swallowed his pride and responded, "yes, well, you see, I was practicing. Innovative torture methods don't just come to me in my sleep, I have to practice and try to create them as I work. That was what that was. Thirty-eight days of practice for me...trying to come up with new methods of extracting the truth."

"So, that person didn't have any information that you needed?" asked Alexander as his foot stopped still in the hall. "You were just torturing her so you could be ready for the next time you had to torture someone. Her pain did nothing to help justice?"

"Hmm...hmm...hmm," hummed Dante as he thought about it, finally he replied, "Basically..." Rina and Specter both paused and dashed at Alexander. Alexander was already in mid-motion of a swing for Dante's head. Rina wrapped her arms around Alexander's body and pushed him back with all of her might. Specter grabbed onto his arm and pulled back, stopping the punch that was closing in on Dante's head. Alexander's jaw was clinched tight as he tried to overpower the two of them as he tried to hit Dante with all of his might.

Alexander let out a heavy breath and dropped his arm down to his side as he calmed down. His breathing was slowly returning to normal even as he stared over at Dante. Dante didn't even turn around to face them, he just kept on walking ignorant to what had just happened behind him. Rina and Specter let go of Alexander. The three of them slowly followed after Dante, but neither Rina nor Specter left Alexander's side in fear that he might set him off again.

Dante let out a brief sigh of relief. He knew of what had just happened behind him. He heard both Rina's and Specter's feet move oddly. He saw their shadows become entangled. He had hastened his steps only slightly. He didn't want to show it, but right then he was honestly scared. According to his own investigation Alexander's punch was grade A dynamite. He was scared to death of it for just a brief second. In all those years of interrogating someone he put together that showing off your fear only amplifies your opponent's power over you. He just had to stay calm until he got the necessary information out of Alexander and this session was over. That's all he needed.

Dante turned around about to speak to them again in his normal cheery voice. He froze as soon as he locked his eyes onto Alexander's. Despite having pulled back his punch, he was still thinking about...it was almost as if Alexander sucker punched him without even using his arms. Dante returned his eyes forward and down onto the stairs. He didn't say anything else as they walked down the stairs. His lips were frozen shut, his mind was ruined. He couldn't think of any questions to ask, whenever he did. He just imagined Alexander's punch coming back at him. He decided to remain quiet for the remainder of the time.

* * *

><p>...I meant to post this up five days ago...I thought I posted this five days ago...oops...<p>

Here we are! We get to meet the psychotic interrogation expert, Dante Fumes himself. Yes, I am willing to admit it, I have a problem. I like crazy bad guys...(there are a lot of examples). But I doesn't seem like Dante is going to turn out to be a problem, Alexander is already creeping him out. Too bad they are getting off on the wrong foot, I was hoping they would be friends!


	41. Chapter 41 The Beginning of the

**The Beginning of the Interrogation!**

"I've previously told you that I am part of a renegade party trying to put the kingdom into poverty! Its plain and simple!" Pura Pupuran shouted as she struggled against the bonds that tied her to the chair she was sitting up right in. The three Marines standing around her shrugged and left content that they wouldn't be able to drag any more information out of her. They signaled Dante and left the room.

Dante smiled. He was on edge ever since the walk down. Alexander's gaze had remained permanently fixed on him and Dante could feel it bury itself into the back of his head. At this rate there would be no way he could get the information out of him that he wanted. "Give me a few minutes alone with her to soften her up and then I'll ask you guys for questions." He got up and left the room. He then emerged in the next room over. Rina was pressed against the one-way mirror and stared into the room.

Dante walked in and right up to her. He pulled up a seat next to her and took out a knife and a piece of wood. He slowly began talking to her while carving away at the wooden block. He was just asking simple questions like her name and her birth place just gathering basic information, stuff that wouldn't really matter if she lied about it. It held no real value to the investigation into Taka.

Finally, Dante was done and stood up. He walked over and picked up a couple of gallons of gasoline. He began to pour it onto Pura Pupuran. Pura began to complain loudly shouting about the gasoline. "Stop it! Please stop pouring gas on me! I'm perfectly innocent!" Dante stopped pouring gasoline and onto her and began backing up, pouring gasoline onto the stone floor. Dante stopped when the gasoline ran out. "That's it? Cover me gasoline...are you going to put me on fire now?"

"That's up to you," stated Dante as he produced a candle and put it on the ground in the middle of a big puddle of gasoline. He lit the candle and watched the flame flicker for a few moments. "That candle is good for an hour. After that the candle flame will touch the ground...or in this case the gasoline and light it all on fire. That includes you too...oh, and in case you are wondering...it won't kill you...just deliver severe burns. The sprinkler system will make sure of it." Dante stepped forward and leaned forward putting his face into Pura Pupuran's face. "Now what should I do in that hour?" Dante produced the knife he had used to whittle the block of wood earlier. He brought it up and into her skin.

He slowly began slicing into her. Pura Pupuran began crying out loud and panicking as she felt the knife dig into her skin. Most people hold back and try to act tough while they are being interrogated, but not everybody is good enough to do that. Besides in the end it doesn't matter whether or not you screamed as you were being tortured, but whether or not you give up the information.

Alexander was standing up in the other room. His hands gripped into the wooden chair and his fingers digging deeper and deeper into his chair as he watched. He's used fighting and hurting people outside to send them to jail and protect people, but hurting someone in order to arrest someone else? She was the one paying the price for another person. It irked him. Right now, he was holding himself back, telling himself it was in order to stop a mass assassination ring trying to take over the world, but there was that nagging thought in his head. What if she really didn't know anything? What if they kept her in the dark and just used her to complete their own means?

Then again...Alexander looked over at Rina. Rina was just as fidgety as he was. She was just as far into the interrogation as Alexander, but for different reasons. Just because Pura Pupuran wasn't guilty for siding with Taka, Rina still identified her as a supporter of a pirate and a pirate herself. People have gotten tortured for much less extreme things. People were tortured for stupid things like a mad man practicing his techniques on them. Alexander's fists tightened again as he once more wished to fire a fist right into Dante's face. Alexander was brought up on justice...he had learned everything about justice for the past three years and this trampled on at least half of it.

Alexander sighed as he turned around, "I'm leaving. I don't want to see any of this. Besides we all know there is no way I'd be able to ask any good questions. If I stay here I'd just...I'd just..." Alexander fully extended his fist smashing it into the wall. Specter and Rina both flinched at the sound. Dante also reacted to the sound, but he quickly calmed down and returned to torturing Pura Pupuran.

"If...uh, he doesn't have to be here can I go gamble?" asked Specter. Rina shook her head. Specter slumped back down. He didn't blame her, he'd hate to be alone here as well. When she came to and out of the daze of possibly getting good information from a possible assassin, she'd freak out if Specter was gone and she was alone with that creep. Specter was still freaked out, though, being in the same building as that psychopath. "That's just unfair! Everybody, but me gets to be where they want to be...I'm stuck here with a psychopath...and Dante." Specter chuckled at his own joke. Rina was too engrossed watching Dante continue to torture Pura Pupuran.

It was hard to describe why she kept watching. She was just starting to get close to Kano and this would put her step closer to that. She wanted that information so badly...she was shaking as she watched the scene. She hated thinking that it was okay, okay to torture someone to get information, but...but she wanted that information so badly. She didn't think it was okay, she really didn't, but she really wanted that information. Getting Kano and his entire crew back behind bars, getting the precious gems that he had stolen from her family, furthering the Taka investigation all of that would be achieved just by this one problem. But still, one had to wonder...did that make it okay? She was starting to see why Alexander wanted to leave.

(-With Alexander-)

Alexander was sitting outside in the sunshine and relaxing. He was still next to the base, he wanted to get the information as soon possible. He would return in one hour when the flames hit the gasoline then Alexander would come back in and check on them then. Until then he would just relax out here in the sunshine.

Alexander's thoughts drifted back to Veri Fresh's warning. He thought deeply about the other members of the Homunculus project. Why would some maniac create humans? Would it do them any good? Nice to the Marines were trying so hard to create a better justice system? Even if now they were being sniped by some random maniac.

The elevator geyser! Alexander sat back up. The elevator geyser mishap was a trap specifically designed for him. He was the only guy who was brave enough to ride in one of those. And if he was trapped in there for days the heating would eventually eat away at him. He froze as he thought about. If that was true then the man who committed suicide the other day was either a Marine who knew about the original Homunculus project or knew someone who did. Alexander needed more information about this new incident.

Rina and Specter were still in the dark about this problem, so he didn't want to rely on them or ask them for their help. He needed someone else. He needed a new person he could talk to and someone else who could help him figure problem. Maybe there were some sane Marines on this island that he could stand. If he remembered correctly, there were quite a few Marines on this island assigned to Dante. They were assigned to help Dante out in his torture methods. They were either supposed to give him the props he asked for...or they were supposed to clean up when he was done. Hopefully, Dante was forced to keep them despite of the incident that Specter talked about.

While Alexander was not interested in getting to know anyone who supported Dante, he needed another head in on this subject. There was one huge problem with trying to find someone who is trying to kill you. That was that when someone was trying to kill, you think everybody is trying to kill you. Every man is either an assassin or a spy. Getting another clear and calm mind in on this problem to help him was a good idea.

He shivered at the thought of going back into the base and seeing Dante again. He greatly disliked the idea of torturing someone for information. It made him feel uneasy. His mind kept jumping back to the previous missions. He had always blindly followed the Marines, they were the symbol of Justice in this world, but it seemed like they were a lot of people in the Marines that had strayed from the ideal of Justice. Veri Fresh's various eccentricities, Yuuki with his multiples vacations every year, and now Dante, the master torturer. It seemed like they were leaving the Justice behind them. Without Justice the interrogation, the executions, the bounties, all of it became just plain violence. Something that Alexander always thought that violence was the thing that the Government was supposed to be trying to suppress and get rid of, now it just seems like they want to be the only ones that use it.

Alexander shook his head as he cleared his doubts about the Marines. He had been with the Marines all of his life...even if that may only be because...they created him...they created him to be the next step in Justice, another weapon in the war against pirates. It looked like his doubts about the Marines weren't leaving him just yet. He needed to ignore those doubts for now and focus on the big problem for the time being.

The sabotaged elevator. He should just focus on that for the time being. He needed to clear his head of the Marines and their problems and just focus on his own. The elevator, Taka, the assassin aiming to take him down. All of these things had to be solved before he thought about the Marines. These small problems needed to go down first. When he was done with that then he'd rethink about the Marines.

He got up and wiped the dirt off of his pants. Alexander rubbed his shoulder as he tried to feel again. In the end he wasn't just going down to see the Marines about the elevator breaking down and the assassin out to get him. He also needed someone to check out his body. His fight with Emyre and Edward had both taken their toll on his body and he had been exercising lately, he hadn't given his body the necessary time to rest it seemed. He needed to get checked out on before he fought with anybody else. He should've done it while he was over at the other Marine Base with Yuuki, but he didn't want to spend that much more time with Yuuki leaning over him, he didn't seem to be too fond of Alexander.

(-Just off the coast of the island-)

"Why are we waiting?" complained a large man. He had longer arms then most and if you paid close attention you'd notice his two elbows hidden beneath his long-sleeved robe, he was a man from the Longarm tribe. He was dressed in a manner similar to a priest, even right down to the rosary that hung around his neck. He pulled his dark sunglasses down, beneath his eyes as he looked over at his partner.

His partner was the Taka agent, White. He was still dressed in his usual suit as he kept a careful eye through the telescope and on Alexander on the mainland. "Don't worry...don't worry. Even in fights that only last thirty minutes you must still take at least three minutes in order to study and collect data. That's what I'm doing right now, collecting data."

"Collecting data?" asked his companion as he shifted uncomfortably, "we are just watching him around the island. What are you planning to collect from this? What are his favorite foods? We might as well just go up there and take him out right now!"

"Alexander has a punch that can destroy you with one go...so, I need to adjust my victory conditions to a strategy that can take him out before he gets that chance," explained White as he began scribbling new notes down. "It'll be awhile till I'm ready to go and take him down, but in the mean time I've ordered a bit of entertainment to keep Alexander busy. Phwa ha ha ha! Regular pirates are so easy to manipulate!"

* * *

><p>If you read Saga then you know of my unfortunate problem and that one of my arms is out of commission for awhile due to injury. If not, well, you do now. This means the next update may be a little bit slower, but don't worry, I'll try to post it soon.<p>

Also, with the new Image manager and the ability to put covers up for stories...I want one for my stories. I'm working on one for Saga, but Iron Hammer is a little bit more difficult. So, if you have an idea for one or you did one for me (thank you very much), send it and it may appear as the cover for this story!


	42. Chapter 42 Pirates Arrive

**Pirates Arrive!**

**A Smashing Frying Pan!**

A large ship just pulled up. The ship's had a falcon leading out of it as the impressive figure head. Even worse, the flag it had hoisted wasn't the flag that belonged to a infamous pirate group, the Revelation Pirates. The flag was decorated with a skull with beams of light leading out of it. The two men that stepped off of it gave off an evil aura. Even if the ship didn't have a pirate flag, the two men were obviously pirates.

One of them had dark hair with a sharp buzz cut. Even scarier then the ship and their flag was the man's dark skin tone. He was huge, not just his six foot height, but in his muscles. They were huge and bustling beneath his small black vest. His black vest had its sleeves torn off and they even had several scrapes and cuts into the vest, his cargo shorts were in a similar state of disrepair. One of the local men walked up to him, he stood up next to him and looked him in the eyes. The local spoke up, "I'm sorry, but if you are a pirate...we are going to have to insist that you leave."

His friend slunk up and stood in between the two, separating the two of them. His head was sunken into his body with no visible traces of a neck at all. He was smaller then most men, only barely passing five feet in height. He was wearing a nice suit, despite being a pirate. "I'm sorry, I understand this must be incredibly stressful to you and your neighbors, but please bear with me. You see, we are Marines on an undercover mission. We are posing as pirates to get close to the Revolutionaries and other troublesome pirates. If need be, we will gladly leave. We just wanted to restock on supplies before continuing on our mission."

"Oh...oh, okay," muttered the villager and he turned around and began to leave, "if you are a Marine I guess its okay." He slowly shuffled his feet, ashamed that he just asked a Marine officer to leave. He should've guessed, based on his suit and smile.

The man smiled quietly. It was a total victory for him now. He had outsmarted him. They were pirates, they were pirates already getting pad by a large group of pirates, named Taka. They were paying them a large sum of money...sweet, delicious, perfect money...they were paying him to handle another Marine. He had chuckled at the offer, he had thought it was a prank. The guy in the white suit saw his partner, Nathan Seth, what man could handle that bundle of pure power. With that considered his brain made this incredibly possible.

He already took the first step in destroying him. He paid someone to sabotage the elevators. It pained him to part with his money, so much, but it had to be done...besides compared to what they were going to be paid that low sum of money was just a drop in the bucket. It annoyed him even further when that failed, but by now he had to be hurting. Escaping from a disastrous elevator only made him an easier man for Seth to kill.

He looked back over at his partner Seth. He didn't say much to him, he didn't know much about Seth, actually. He only knew and cared about too things. Seth liked money almost as he does and Seth was willing to be his bodyguard. These two things made Seth a perfect combo with him, with a similar goal in mind and the fact that Seth was strong meant that Seth was a scapegoat...Seth would take all the damage from the people who got in their way, but they both benefited from it the same amount. It was only possible due to the variance in their intelligence. He was smarter then Seth so he was able to negotiate a 50/50 split in the funds.

Seth was thinking about something different. He stared over at his partner, who, in all honesty, he couldn't stand. He wasn't going to tell him that, though. The man was useful and as long as he trusted Seth, Seth would have full access to all of his abilities. It was a mutual beneficial relationship they had. His partner, Satoshi, relied on him for power and Seth relied on Satoshi for his lying skills. Together they were one of the deadliest pirate crews physically possible, just the two of them.

Seth's attention wasn't on the money or Satoshi, though. He was starting to get heated up. He was growing agitated ever since he had stepped on the island...ever since he had met White. White, Satoshi, the stupid ship they sailed in on, the Marines that were they pretending to be. He hated them all. They were all just around to keep getting him money, that's why he had let them continue living. That's the only reason he hadn't crushed them the instant he had a chance. For the money...he was a huge fan of money. His entire goal was for money, his companions were just stepping stones in order to get him to where he wanted.

Satoshi and Seth both decided it would be smarter to just to stay on the first level instead of going up to the higher level. Their current guise wouldn't work out quite as well when they were surrounded by hundreds of Marines. Besides they both wanted to go and win tons of money over at the casino in town. Money comes before combat in their world. After all, it wasn't like that Taka member hired them to beat him up before a set time. They just needed to get rid of Alexander before he left the island. The casino would only take up a couple of hours while they waited for Alexander to come closer to them. Satoshi let loose an evil chuckle as he strode down the path with Seth walking patiently behind him.

(-With Alexander-)

Alexander was grumbling as he walked through the Marine Base trying to find his way around. The friendly girl who had helped him get through the Marine Base the first time was nowhere in sight. Unlike it would matter, the dark hallways made it impossible to find his way through it anyways. He was stumbling around in the dimly lit halls as is. Finding his way down the stairs would be pretty hazardous.

Alexander murmured quietly as he continued walking through the base. He stopped and sniffed the air. The air was filled with an unmistakable aroma of food. The crew still didn't have a professional chef yet, so they were currently making do with the absolute minimum of cooking. They alternated cooking duty, but Alexander's cooking skill was limited to sandwiches...Specter only knew how to cook foods he liked and Rina's cooking skills were only a step above other two. So, as food was concerned it was slim pickings on the ship. The smell of cooking was too strong for Alexander to overcome with just willpower. The problem of the assassin after his head could wait till after lunch.

Alexander followed his nose like a bloodhound to get to the kitchen in a matter of minutes. The kitchen only had two or three people in it, which given the number of Marines in here was probably pretty fair. So far, even counting the three chefs...Alexander had only seen five people in this base. Even if he had only seen half of them three people cooking for ten wasn't that bad of a ratio. Alexander came in and walked around examining the food piece by piece. He peered into each pot separately to see what mixture was cooking in them.

Alexander paused over one of the pots. With a big whiff, he was entranced by the smell of the soup alone. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it smelled like, but he wanted some nonetheless. He wandered over to one of the nearby cupboards. He made sure not to get into anybody's way, they were busy cooking and he didn't want to annoy them...or get thrown out before he got some soup. After rummaging through the cupboards, he found a small cup. It was enough.

He wandered back over to the soup and grabbed hold of the ladle that was sitting next to it. Alexander bent down and picked it up and scooped up some soup and poured it into his cup. Alexander lifted the cup up to his mouth about to take a drink of it when someone shouted, "Wait to be served next time!" A metal object came crashing into Alexander's face, knocking him backwards and onto the ground. The soup spilled onto the ground around Alexander.

"Why you...! You dented my frying pan!" complained the person who brought the object into Alexander's face. Alexander sat up and grabbed his head. He was still unsure how that became his fault. He didn't intentionally headbutt the frying pan. He was the one who was attacked by it. Alexander bent over and rubbed his head trying to think about what just happened. He was pretty sure about one thing though...he was almost positive whoever hit him was a girl. Alexander could reason that his assumption was based off the strength of the person who hit him or the sound of the voice, but he knew deep down that girls just liked him hitting for some reason. It was like he emitted some kind of weird pheromone.

Alexander opened his eyes, still bent over and looking straight at the ground. He brought his head up a little bit higher up, just enough to see the legs of his attacker. They were covered in thick sweats and it looked like boots beneath those. Alexander was frozen as he looked on at his attacker. As he moved his view up, he was still just as mystified. It was a baggy stained shirt with an apron over it. The person's brown hair was covered up by a small chef's hat, so that it only poked out down at the bottom. Alexander was taken back at the person's appearance. The face barely resembled a girl and appeared more ambiguous then feminine. Did a guy just hit Alexander for no reason? It was a worthy reason for him to pause as he looked at his attacker, he was completely expecting a woman. "Are you..." Alexander paused as he was about to speak. It was definitely not something that would work out well, asking a guy if they were a girl or asking a girl if she was a guy...he would definitely get walloped with the frying pan again.

"If you are gonna try to sneak some of my food outta here then you are gonna help us out we got three visiting Marines here and we would like the extra hands," commanded the person. Alexander paused as she threw the apron on top of his head. Should he mention that he couldn't cook?

"Leave that poor boy alone, Reggie, he's not part of the cooking crew, so let him go off and do whatever his actual job is," stated one of the older cooks as he came in and pushed the person away. Alexander sighed, Reggie...apparently he was a guy. He was really happy that he didn't ask him if he was a girl. The swing from the frying pan was definitely stronger then most people could generate, so it made sense that it was a guy. Guys were naturally stronger and stuff...if a girl had that kind of power behind her swing, she must've swung that frying pan a couple million times! And if anybody did that they would be scary!

"Don't call me that," pouted Reggie as he twisted away and walked back up to Alexander. "Looks like you got out of doing work today because the old cook's a nice guy. However, if you try to steal any food from my kitchen again I'll have you doing fifty laps around the Marine Base!" Alexander was shocked, when the heck did he get enrolled in Reggie's Training School? "Who the heck are you, anyways?"

Alexander paused as he realized he had still yet to introduce himself to the two cooks. Not like he had a chance to. He barely managed to find this small cup before he was assaulted with a frying pan. "I'm Captain Alexander. I'm the visiting captain. I came to see Danta Fumes and sit in on the interrogation."

"Geez," said Reggi as she turned her back to Alexander, "I would think that as a guest in another person's Marine Base, you would at least pretend to have manners. Next time you are hungry and you are in somebody else's house, don't just go raiding their..."

The old man clamped his two hands around Reggie's mouth and pulled her back away from Alexander. "I am so sorry for Reggie's manner..." Reggie broke free from the old man's grasp and turned around to face him.

"My manners!" she shouted back at the old man, "he's the one that was raiding the kitchen while we are working! He should be the one apologizing to us for his bad manners! Not the other way around! I personally think I should hit him again for his poor manners!"

The old man pulled Reggie back once more. "Eh...I'm sorry, mister...I hope you don't mind. Reggie's a bit too headstrong and doesn't always hold back when talking. Please just wait a little bit longer for lunch to be served."

Alexander nodded and bowed, "I was also in the wrong for for barging in here like that." Alexander wasn't quite used to waiting to be served. His old training school let the students eat whatever and whenever they wanted in order to keep up their bodies and stay strong. Of course, if you happened to eat too much and put on a few pounds the training was amplified in order for you to lose those pounds.

Alexander was about to apologize to Reggie and the old man again when a shout rang out from one of the lower levels, "AAAAAHHHHHHH!" His head snapped back to attention and turned away. Was the torture already over? Alexander spun off and dashed towards the stairs.

"Bastard," snarled Reggie, turning around. "I usually only have to put up with Dante, but now I got another jerk in this building I'm going to have to deal with it."

The old man sighed, "I know you don't like Dante's job, but you got to remember it is vital to the Marines. So, just turn you back to the misdeeds of the island once more, please?" Reggie huffed and returned to the cooking. The old man simply sighed and shook his head.

* * *

><p>WARNING! DISCLAIMER! Three new submitted OCs emerged in this one chapter alone! That's a record for Iron Hammer! The three new OCs were Seth and Satoshi (the two pirates at the beginning) who were both designed by Labyrinth Designer and then there was Reggie who was submitted by A Person.<p>

UWAH...The torture is over and now Alexander rushes back to his crew to see what just happened. Is it good news, bad news, or something else entirely that happened? We will just have to wait and see!


	43. Chapter 43 Lies and Torture

**Tortures and Lies**

"What happened?" asked Alexander as he rushed into the torture chambers. Rina and Specter, both barely noticed him as their eyes were fixed on Pura Pupuran. Alexander peered into the room and saw Pure Pupuran, still strapped to the chair, but this time she was burning with a bright flame. "I thought the candle was supposed to last another 20 minutes, or at the very least ten!" Alexander knew he wasn't gone for an hour, he knew that was a fact! He may have been gone for forty or fifty minutes, but that was it! Nothing more! Dante said the candle would last an hour, not forty minutes! And now they were stuck watching their only witness burn to death! What good was coming to this island! "Dante! Put her out now!" shouted Alexander through the walls.

Dante was still in the room. He was sitting across from Pura Pupuran, only about five feet away. In his hand was a stick with an already toasted marshmallow on the end. He lifted his eyebrow as he confirmed Alexander's voice. "Sorry, boss, but my marshmallow's not done yet. These flames are extremely low heat flames. They are some kind of new invention that was created recently...this flame can't even boil water with their temperature. It will leave mild burns for sure, but she'll live. After all, I can't continue with my interrogation if she dies, can I?"

Alexander gritted his teeth as he stared inwards at the scene. He turned away and pounded the ground once more. "I can't believe Veri Fresh wanted me to come see this crap!" Alexander was furious with everything. His day...no, his life was turning to crap it seemed. An assassin, a botched elevator, getting hit upside the head with a frying pan, and now having to put up with Dante. It seems things were constantly trying to screw him over. Alexander sighed and walked over to Rina and Specter. "I'm going to go in there and put her out myself if he continues acting like this."

"Wait!" shouted Pura Pupuran, "I'll talk!" Alexander turned his head back around. Him, Rina, and even Specter, who had no knowledge of Taka whatsoever, all got up and ran to the one-way window pressing themselves against trying to listen in to Pura talk. "You'd be pleased to know every person who was put into my renegade group from the two kingdoms, right? The people who instigated the fight?" Dante kicked his chair over as he got up.

"Don't play games with a torture expert," said Dante as he stared into her eyes up close. She was still trying to pass herself as an active revolutionary within her kingdoms that tried to overthrow them, that was it. She still wasn't willing to talk about Taka. "You see, we torture experts play nice for the first couple of hours...after all while go hunting bunny rabbits with cannons? The longer you stay in this game, the worse the torturing is going to become...those burns on your arms are only stage one of this hell. There's still hundreds of stages left to go...so if you want to talk about your made-up organization, go ahead...I'll just keep torturing you will you talk." Dante brought his knife around and flipped it around and dropped it into Pura's arm. She tried to stifle the scream, but it still came out loud and clear.

"Next up, I'm going to skin you..." said Dante with smirk. "Slowly scraaaaaapppppppeeeeeeee away your skin for fun. Then after you've screamed your little head off, I'll get some salt..." Dante reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial of salt. He reached down to the new wound on Pura Pupuran and held it open with his two fingers, "then I'll gently and slowly administer the salt onto your body." Dante shook the salt loose from the vial into the wound he was prying open.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" Screamed Pura Pupuran as the salt fell into her open wound. She quickly closed her mouth and gritted her teeth shut as she tried to resist the urge to scream again. She glared defiantly up at Dante. It was starting to become questionable about why she wasn't telling the truth. It could either be because she refused to sell out her comrades in Taka...or she just hated Dante's guts like the rest of the people in this building. It was hard to know which one would make her easier to crack.

"You know all this talk about cooking, skinning and salt has made me hungry. I think I'm going to go grab a bite to eat. You want anything?" Dante said as he looked back at Pura. Pura spat at Dante's shoe. Dante scoffed at her behavior and turned around and left. When he exited the room, he immediately spotted Alexander. "What's up friend?" asked Dante as he moved over towards Alexander. Alexander stepped out of his range and over to Specter and Rina.

"Let's go get something to eat too," grunted Alexander. Despite his habit of favoring lunchtime over almost every other thing he did he had a low, upset voice. Rina nodded and followed after him. Specter simply smiled, oblivious to Alexander's weird quirks that he had now. They headed up to the cafeteria and for the first time they saw probably the entire Marine Base in that one room. There was only fifteen people in total sitting in the cafeteria and sharing tales.

Dante smiled and looked over at Alexander. Alexander had so far managed to avoid all of his questions. He wasn't too happy about that. He wanted to know everything about his target and right now, Alexander was his main target. He barely managed to enjoy the torture since he couldn't get Alexander out of his head. His thirst for knowledge was more on this man, his so-called ally who he may have to work with in the future then the woman who would be thrust into prison for the rest of her life. Especially since Alexander as hiding something from him.

"So, Alexander what was life like before you joined the Marines?" asked Dante as the group got up to get their meals. Rina and Specter both perked their ears up at the question. They knew that he went to a highly regarded training school and that was how he got his strength to that level, but that was the only thing they knew about it. He never talked about his days in it, despite his incredibly harsh training regiment that he followed everyday.

Alexander paused as he thought about how to answer it. "Well, I don't really want to talk about it," complained Alexander as he frowned at the thought of it. "It wasn't really a pleasant experience back in the old days training."

"Oh! I'm sorry," obliged Dante with a curt bow, "how about before then, huh? I'm sure you must've had an interesting childhood. Very few Marines become big names like yourself because they had a wonderful life. Am I right?" Alexander and Rina both froze. Neither of them knew how to proceed in this situation. Rina could only think that Alexander would've surely been taught or instructed what to happen in this situation, right?

"Uh..." muttered Alexander. He still didn't have any idea about what to say, "you see, um...my childhood is something that, um...I..." Alexander was cut off again as a frying pan came flying across his tray and into his face. Alexander was knocked backwards and onto the floor again.

"Stop holding up the line! I said you are next!" shouted Reggie, tucking the frying pan away. Alexander rubbed his head as he tried to recover from the swing. His head was now pounding from the constant swinging of the pan into his head. Another person kept "Great...you just dented another one of my frying pans. You are going to have to start paying me for these."

"Alexander apologize for whatever you said or did to this person," commanded Rina. Alexander paused for a second. Hadn't he already apologized? And wasn't it Reggie's problem, that he had a weird urge to continually hit him with a frying pan whenever they met. Dante went over and reached out and offered Alexander a hand to help him up to his feet. Alexander ignored Dante's hand and stood up by himself.

"Hey, Reggie," Alexander said extending his hand to Reggie for a 'hello' handshake. Reggie smacked it away. "Anyways," continued Alexander. "This is Rina, my navigator, her dog, Hayate, and my gunslinger, Specter. And you probably know Dante, right?"

Reggie huffed loudly and turned around and left the room, under her breath she muttered, "figures those two would know each other." The old man who previously held her back quickly jumped in and took her place in the food line. He quickly apologized to the crew and gave them their food. Once they got their food they left and went back to their seat.

"Damn that Reggie," muttered Dante. Alexander looked around and at his food. Strangely enough while Rina, Specter, and even himself got a pretty decent meal, personalized for them. Specter with a steak and carrots, Rina got a regular salad, and Alexander got just a slab of meat and potatoes. Dante, on the other hand, had a hamburger. "She messed up my order...I have to tell them every time that the correct way to build a hamburger is condiments, lettuce, cheese, meat, and then tomatoes and pickles. They keep screwing up the order."

(-With Reggie-)

Reggie had left the instant Alexander and Dante were put together. The current state of the Marines weren't bad at all, but like everything in the world. They were a few bad apples and it so happened that two of them landed in this Marine Base at the same exact time! A quick jog was the best idea, a quick walk around the island to cool down and calm down. A Marine cap was settled on her head. Being in the kitchen all day meant you couldn't exactly help people out who needed it, with this hat people would instantly come to her for help. "Damn that Alexander," muttered Reggie.

"Excuse me, what did you just say?" asked a man as he walked up to Reggie. His head was sunken into his body, leaving no visible trace of a neck. He was dressed nicely and had the manners of a gentleman, more then what Reggie could say for most Marines. Behind him was another man, tall, imposing and strong-looking. "I couldn't help but notice that you are a Marine and that you mentioned Alexander, is that correct?"

Reggie nodded. Despite the man's polite manners, he gave off an eerie vibe. His sunken head was probably cause for that. It looked creepy and unnatural, "yes, that's right. Why do you have something against him, too?"

Satoshi's eyes flickered with a brilliant scheme. His plans were already starting to come together and work perfectly, running into this Marine was a perfect chance to make his plans work even better. "You could say that!" said Satoshi breaking down and falling to his knees. "You see, I am Alexander! Me and my crew was suddenly attacked while we were out at sea and destroyed! It was very underhanded tactic, attacking us at night! We didn't stand a chance!"

"Wait!" shouted Reggie trying to slow Satoshi and take this all in, "the Alexander up there is a fake!" Satoshi nodded vigorously. Something wasn't adding up according to Reggie's math, "no...that's not possible. I heard that Alexander's crew was a crew of three. Alexander, Rina, and Specter...there's only two of you here!"

"Don't remind us!" cried Satoshi twisting around and turning his face away from Reggie. He began crying. "Rina was so young and so innocent! But they killed her during the attack! Me and...uh, Specter barely got away with our lives! They robbed us completely blind! I blame myself for my lack of strength against them, but they just weren't human! They were demons in human skin!"

Reggie paused as he heard this. He couldn't help but believe them. Insinuating such dastardly things. But it was possible. It could explain why Reggie hated Alexander's guts, and why he seemed to get along with Dante one of the Marines with the worst possible personality. Reggie nodded as he agreed to Satoshi's demands. "Okay, I'll help you expose them for what they really are." Reggie twisted around to return to the Marine Base.

Satoshi turned around and smiled at Seth. Things like this were easy for Satoshi to do. Controlling the minds of people with lie after lie after lie. They already made a killing at the blackjack table in the casino everybody believed every single one of Satoshi's bluffs, he had done everything to make as much money as possible and now he would make a mountain of money off of White for killing Alexander! Best of all, he wouldn't even have to lift a finger!

Seth stared down upon Satoshi. Once more Satoshi's lies had pulled through and made another job easy...but those lies were what Seth hated. Seth still hadn't forgotten how he and Satoshi met. The day Satoshi lied to him and tricked him. Satoshi ruined his life when he lied to him. Seth subconsciously grabbed his hidden dagger. He could feel the adrenaline of his anger urging him to bring the knife out and murder Satoshi right where he stood, but Seth kept it in check. He returned his hands to his sides and let Satoshi keep walking, right now Satoshi was useful.

* * *

><p>Its hard to tell who is the good guy now, isn't it? The insane torturer trying to obtain information on a criminal organization, an extreme liar who is convincing everybody he is a good guy, or...Alexander, a man who keeps screwing up, breaking frying pans, and getting in trouble.<p> 


	44. Chapter 44 Drink After the Meal

**The After Meal Drink**

"Ah, that was a good meal, no?" asked Dante as he wiped his mouth clean of mustard. After complaining to the old man, he finally got the correct burger. It was now time to return to the dungeon and continue his torturing of Pura Pupuran. He still wondered if he really should skin her and then pour salt all over her. It sounded like it was going just a little bit too fast for him. After all, he wanted to enjoy this and also as soon as he finished torturing her, wouldn't Alexander leave? Did he really want that to happen already? He still hadn't obtained all the information he wanted from him yet.

Alexander got up and excused himself. He wouldn't be staying around here and waiting to see Dante torture someone and enjoy it much less. He wanted to get out of here first thing, right off of the bat. Dante frowned. He really needed to get the information out of Alexander...he wanted it, it was his job to claw at and tear information from his targets, and yet Alexander was openly avoiding it. The universe was preventing Dante from doing his job...and he hated that. He was starting to feel impatient. Whenever he brought up the question about Alexander's past, something stopped Alexander from answering. An idea suddenly popped into Dante's head.

"Hey, hey, hey!" shouted Dante standing up, "you guys still haven't been around the island yet have you? I'll be more then happy to escort you around! I know quite a couple of good bars around here and you can't quite have a good meal without alcohol, can you?" Dante was quite pleased with himself; he would just simply get Alexander drunk and get the answers from him that way. Once he was drunk his ability to think of a good answer would be destroyed and he would be forced to tell the truth! And what man didn't want a good drink to wash down the horrors of seeing their torture?

"I thought you were extremely sensitive to the sun like you couldn't go out at all," said Specter as he continued to wolf down another steak without slowing down. "Or are you like a vampire and can only go out at night when the sun's not shining?" He didn't fully mind going to a bar, but he would much rather go down and return to the casino and continue to reel in a large sum of money.

"Actually, I'm afraid that even at night I can't go outside as is," explained Dante, "You see, at night the sun is just reflecting off of the moon and giving light that way. My body is dreadfully sensitive to lights, so I tend to stay locked up and away from lights even the light of the torches on the walls bother me despite how far away they are from me...but even the most secluded person couldn't survive if he was forced to stay in one building all day. I can still move around and go places. Bodyguards!" Two men immediately showed up standing to both sides of Dante. They were both dressed in heavy clothing; so much so that they're faces had disappeared from sight.

"These two guys are my bodyguards," introduced Dante, "they were paid for and sent by the Marines to be with me at all times unless I am doing my interrogation. They protect me from any and all sorts of trouble including the sun." The crew raised an eyebrow at the thought. Protecting someone from the sun? Was that even possible? The only thing Alexander could think about was following Dante around with an umbrella everywhere he went, but even that seemed unlikely to completely block out the sun, so what did they have in mind?

Moments later the crew was set out into the weather and already moving out to the bar. They were incredibly uncomfortable, though. While they had to give Dante and the rest of the Marines credit for thinking of such a...an innovative way around Dante's problem, it wasn't all too inconspicuous. In order to completely block out the light Dante had constructed a large metal box, and in order to make it easier for his guards to transport they cut down on the size of the box, making it just large enough to fit a person in it if they were lying down. As a result it looked exactly like a coffin...

Alexander sighed. He didn't quite understand why he decided to come along...actually it was more like why Dante decided to butt in. Alexander was going to get away from Dante and his weird eccentricities, but it looked like Dante wasn't about to let that happen. Dante was just going to stick to him and make sure he kept an eye on him. Alexander looked over at the rest of his crew.

Rina seemed to be doing okay with the handling Dante and his habits. Alexander had to wonder if that was just because she was so focused on getting the information out of him, she could overpower it...or if it was because she didn't care about torture. With how often she got mad at Alexander, it wouldn't surprise him if Rina was fine with torture.

Specter seemed to be busy with other thoughts besides the torture. He was still too preoccupied with his winnings, so he wasn't paying too much attention to whatever it was that Dante could be trying to accomplish. As a matter of fact, he was too busy trying to figure out how he could leave and rush back down to the casino to gamble even more! His luck still hadn't run out, he could feel it!

"Here we are the best bar on this entire island!" shouted Dante from inside his little coffin. The bar was a small one without a lot of signs. As a matter of fact it only had two. One with the bar's name, 'Carter of the Bar', and a second smaller sign, 'The first drink for pretty women is free. If you are really pretty, you can get two free drinks!'

"Eh..." said Rina as she froze just outside of the two doors leading into the bar. "I-I feel like I'm already being leered at. I-I don't think I c-can go in." She took another step back. Alexander couldn't quite blame her, after all the second sign alone was enough to give anybody the creeps. Not to mention it was a bar...a place where any women who entered got leered at. "But I want a free glass of sake."

"WHAT'S THIS I HEAR!" shouted a voice from inside the bar. "A girl wants a free glass of sake! Well, as a barkeep and a gentleman, it is my duty to provide it for her!" The crew's attention was directed skywards to the top of the bar where one lone man was standing. "It is I!" he shouted as he leapt heroically from the top of the bar, "Jack Carter!" In his hands he held a wine glass with some sake in it that despite jumping off of the top of the bar hadn't spilled a drop. Jack dropped to a knee and raised his glass up to Rina. "Here you go, milady. One glass of sake!"

"Th-thank you," said Rina with a curt nod as she picked up the glass. She held it in her hand examining it for a second. "You-you didn't put anything in this, did you?" The man definitely wasn't someone she trusted getting a drink from, especially for free.

"Well! I'll be! I'll have you know I am a perfect per...gentleman!" corrected Jack as he stood back up and invited everybody into his shop. "I even raised my little sister all on my own after my dad died! I think of all women like I think about my little sister, so that remark of yours...it hurts me down to my deepest core!"

"I-I'm sorry," said Rina taken back the man's honesty, "I never would've pictured you as the man who would raise a little girl by yourself. I'm sorry for jumping to such a harsh conclusion." Rina bowed to apologize before taking a sip from her drink. Alexander and the rest followed suit.

"Wwwweeelllllll, if you really want to apologize you could do so by removing your top," said Jack jumping forward and towards Rina with open arms. Rina lifted her leg up and brought her foot down on top of his head, smashing him into the ground beneath her. Hayate jumped in right after that, landing on top of Jack's head and barking loudly.

"Just for t-that I expect another ten drinks on the house!" shouted Rina as she lowered her glass expecting it to be filled again. Jack didn't complain instead he agreed with a hearty 'yes ma'am' and filled her glass quickly.

"This is the best bar on the island?" asked Alexander looking around. The place was pretty much deserted. Not a single soul was in the bar or at any one of the nearby tables. He found it hard to believe that anyone would consider this to be the 'best' of anything. The only worker in sight was a pervert.

"Eh," said Dante with a shrug as he opened up his coffin, now that they were safely inside and the lights were dimmed due to his two bodyguards. "It's the one closest to the Marine Base and the bartender here is a family member of one the Marines. So, we tend to come here whenever we need a drink, but there's not too many of us Marines and as a result there are not too many customers."

"Yeah," continued Jack as he wiped and cleaned another glass, "but Marines certainly do drink a whole lot more then normal people. I assume it's because of the job, but trust me...all of the heavy drinkers I've ever seen in my life have been Marines or pirates. And trust me, I've seen a lot more Marines that guzzle down a bottle of alcohol a day then I do pirates."

Alexander paused as he thought about it. He didn't know too many Marines, but so far he did know Rina and Specter and both of them did drink a fair amount. Alexander wasn't too fond of drinking. His old school didn't allow it. Alcohol messes with your senses and makes it harder to concentrate. Not to mention he was still fairly young to be drinking, but that didn't seem to matter to anyone. For the most part Alexander stuck to non-alcoholic beverages.

"You got a family member in the Marines," asked Specter trying to make small talk with Jack while he waited for his beverage. All of group had sat up at the bar and were waiting for their drinks, patiently. "There weren't too many people over at the local Marine Base so maybe we know him...or her. What's the guy's name?"

"Reggie!" proclaimed Jack with pride as he looked over at Specter. Alexander flinched at the name as he recognized it. "A cook up at the Marine Base! If you ever got hit upside the head with a frying it was probably Reggie's doing! Hah ha ha ha ha!" Jack made several practice swings with a bottle of wine at each of the males, but skipped doing so with Rina and instead filled her glass back up.

"Eh..." muttered Alexander. His head was still throbbing from the multiple swings that Reggie had made at his head. He was desperate to change the topic and avoid having to talk about how he annoyed this guy's little brother. "So, what about the little sister you cared for?" asked Alexander remembering he mentioned how he cared for his little sister all by himself; he had to like talking about her.

"Yeah, that's Reggie!" shouted Jack. Alexander was stunned. She was wearing baggy jeans and a shirt that hid anything that could possibly relate her to a female and then her name made it even harder to discern. Her hair was also hidden beneath the hat! "Bet ya didn't know that, did ya?" asked Jack as he passed Alexander a glass filled to the brim with alcohol. "Not many people notice it and I can't exactly blame them. Reggie's femininity scale is basically zero. Can't blame her considering our mother ran off pretty early. Not too many strong female role models in the Marines or our household."

True. The only high-ranking female Alexander knew was Veri Fresh's daughter, the Vice Admiral...and as far as femininity goes, Reggie might actually beat her. "Her mother ran away?" asked Alexander growing interested in the life of a fellow Marine.

"YUP!" proclaimed Jack. "Her mother ran off, her father was a Marine who was away on business trips most of her childhood, not to mention he ended up dying when she was ten! But luckily for her she had me! One of the best older brothers a kid could ask for!" The crew remained silent, not wanting to upset their gracious host by insulting his parenting skills.

"That's kind of sad," muttered Specter. He was probably the only one in the group allowed to say such a thing. His parents were both still alive. Rina's parents had been murdered and Alexander never talked about his parents. It kind of made him wonder how his parents were holding up.

"Well!" shouted Jack as he drank a drink himself, "I can tell you all about it!"

* * *

><p>Yes, the infamous Reggie is actually a girl…although I'm fairly certain some of you already had an inkling about that. Next chapter a look into the life of a girl who just loves to hit people with frying pans!<p> 


	45. Chapter 45 All Marines are screwedup?

**All Marines are Screwed-Up?**

"Daddy!" shouted Reggie as a little girl jumped forward and into the arms of a grown man. The man was dressed in an official Marine uniform. Not because he had to, but because he preferred it. It made him feel like a very important person. Anyone who needed help would see him and rush to him for the help. Regardless of his love of protecting the common people, his love for his son and daughter still exceeded that. It hurt his heart to leave them alone for such long extended periods of time, but the world needed Marines like him.

"Come on, little one," he said as he lifted Reggie up into the air and then put her back down. "So, now where is my big boy, Jack?" he asked as he looked around. Jack was about fifteen now while Jack was less then trustworthy and was growing up to be a skirt chaser, he held his sister in the highest regard and would always protect her before chasing after girls. The bruises on his face would always sell him out. Jack came rushing out seconds later and up to their dad. After a brief a hug, the dad smiled and reached into his pocket, "I have a treat for you two!" Seconds later he produced two small cupcakes.

Reggie grimaced, but quickly covered it up due to a light slap from Jack. Their dad was probably the worst cook in the world. For most of his foods, he admitted it, but he refused to say that his cupcakes were horrible. He thought they were the one thing he could cook. The problem is they were the one thing that he was the worst at cooking. But how could you tell someone that. He thought the kids loved the cupcakes, whenever he got one of his jobs done he would come back and give each of them a cupcake. It was his way of saying hello to them. So, every time he came home Reggie and Jack would put on a brave face and swallow them. No matter how bad they tasted.

"Hah! Some men on my crew said that my cupcakes tasted worse then Devil Fruits! How dare they insult my kids favorite food?" boasted the dad with a laugh full of pride. "Now what's next on the agenda? I know, its taking my little kids to the library, right, Reggie?" Reggie screamed out with happiness. She liked books and loved the library as a result. Jack, on the other hand, simply hung his head and accepted his faith. "There a lot of pretty librarians," whispered his dad in his ear. Jack roared with pleasure as the two kids began to pull their dad in all eagerness to go to the library.

The library was only a small place. It wasn't anything to be proud of, but they had more then enough books present. Reggie dashed off to the cooking section to read more books. She hoped one day she'd be able to cook well enough that she could correct her dad's hideous muffins, but she knew that they were already beyond all hope. Jack went up to the receptionist, who was probably 10 years too old for him, but the dad only laughed at his antics.

He moved over to one of the library's chairs and settled in. Being at seas for such an extended period of time, certainly tired oneself out. He was enjoying the moments that he could rest up and as he grew older he knew he would be needing more and more of them. Luckily, they were talking about building a Marine Base here. It was for some new Marine interrogation officer. It sounded like a pleasant idea, being able to stay on this island and be with his growing kids all the time. It definitely was an idea he was fond of.

He rolled over and tried to comfortable in the chair, but instead found himself face-to-face with another Marine. He was a big name now, he was promoted to Rear Admiral a long time ago, but was never capable of advancing past that. His personality was lacking something, but the dad didn't mind him. He was friendly to his children and everybody he met, a good quality in Marines these days. He was Rear Admiral Veri Fresh. He pulled himself up and said, "how do you do, Rear Admiral Veri Fresh." On his shoulder was perched his precious purple parrot.

"No need for titles," said Veri Fresh with a smile, "I'm on vacation...my first one in years. I tell you if you are ever offered to be promoted to Rear Admiral turn them down. You get all of the work of Vice Admirals, but none of the respect. I figured I'd come by here and see how you are doing seeing as how we used to be on the same crew and all that."

"I'm fine," said the dad as he wiped some sleep from his eyes and looked up at Veri Fresh. It was true that they used to be on the same crew. Veri Fresh was already a rising star when he joined...he was on a crew of rising stars actually, it made him wonder how the rest of the crew was doing, especially one man in particular. "How is Void Furrow doing?"

Veri Fresh smiled. Void Furrow was a genius, but he also had a cruel streak in him. Most people said he wasn't cut out for the Marines, that he was just a pirate playing pretend. Veri Fresh disagreed. Void Furrow may not have his heart in the right place, but he tried to. "He thinks he has made a new discovery in the Pacifista project and the upper echelon actually believes he has a good idea...so they are splitting it off into its own project. Furrow wants to call it 'Homunculus', but the Gorosei believes that that name isn't one that inspires the idea of justice!" Veri Fresh laughed at the idea of a bunch of old geezers that had never been on the front lines of any war had any right to say what inspired the idea of justice or what justice was for that matter.

The dad just shrugged it off and returned to his chair, "let me guess they want me to join up with him or something?" He knew better. Veri Fresh was a Rear Admiral now even on vacations he was still working. "Tell him. I can't, I'm still had at work with this own project of mine." He nodded towards his kids playing in the corner, "and I think mine is going to be a lot more rewarding."

Veri Fresh laughed at the notion, but he had to agree. Furrow just wanted someone he knew to be on the team. Veri Fresh was his first choice, they had grown up through the ranks of Marines almost side-by-side and they still kept in contact as often as possible, but Veri Fresh had other business to take care. He looked over at the two kids playing, "I know what you mean. My little girl is already talking about joining the Marines, becoming a chore-girl and working her way up the ranks...she's so stubborn and strong-headed, just like her mother."

"Does she mock your ridiculous hair cut as well?" asked the man as he sat up in the chair. Even now Veri Fresh's haircut looked like somebody was growing an onion beneath it. Veri Fresh chuckled. His weird hairdo was his idea of helping him standout and it worked. Whenever somebody said someone with a weird haircut was doing a great job EVERYBODY knew who they were talking about. "Hey, do you want one of my muffins?"

Veri Fresh backed away immediately at the sight of the famed muffin. While Veri Fresh was known throughout the Marines for his hairdo, he was known for his muffins. Veri Fresh shook his head no, "I'm supposed to be on a very strict diet for the missus and all. I...uh, best be going now."

"Hold on, I'll walk with you," said the dad as he stood up. He called over to his kids and told them to wait for him to comeback. It would be quick walk to the dock and besides he didn't see Veri Fresh very often. It was nice to see someone from his generation high up in the ranks. More and more kids were becoming pirates nowadays, it was nice to know that the Marines still had some hope.

There was a big commotion at the docks. Some Marines were already there and they quickly informed Veri Fresh. Apparently a new band of pirates had docked and was causing trouble. Veri Fresh paused as he looked up at the pirate flag. It was a small name pirate crew if you viewed it from the world's level. The main captain only had a bounty of 22 million, but considering that was his first bounty ever it was a cause for pause.

The dad didn't waste a moment. His kids were on this island. He rushed forward at the pirate captain, drawing his flintlock pistol without hesitation. He brought the small gun up into the air and fired a single round. The pirate captain was caught unaware and was thrown back from the force of the pistol and to the ground. He quickly reacted and brought forth his own gun. Unlike the dad's which was a small flintlock pistol. His was something else and something bigger. It was a huge weapon and he wasted no time in emptying his magazine into the crowd.

Veri Fresh ignored the shots, charging in through them and dodging each of them with graceful ease. He was capable of quickly closing the distance and getting face-to-face with the pirate captain. He swatted the gun out of the pirate captain's hand and drove his elbow downwards and into his head, knocking him unconscious. Veri Fresh breathed a sigh of relief. Pirates with bounties like his were quickly becoming small fries and easy to beat. Veri Fresh was starting to have a hard time breaking a sweat with a pirate of even 50 million.

He smiled and waved at the people who were gathered around him. His waving was stopped as he laid eyes on his friend. The dad hadn't been lucky enough to avoid the bullets like Veri Fresh. The bullets found their way across the crowd and straight at him. He was on the ground, grasping his heart. Veri Fresh leapt down and sped over to him, screaming for a doctor.

He had three bullet wounds, but only two of them were dangerous. The first one had drilled in too close to his heart, the doctor said if any of them was going to kill him it was going to be that one. The second one was pure luck on the shooter's part. It had landed in his arm, splicing a particularly important vein. The third one was worth nothing and was only a shallow hole in his leg, easily recovered. The doctor immediately set out to work, fixing up every wound he could, but the bleeding from the second hole and the dangerous location of the first made it impossible to fix in what short time he had. He died fairly quickly.

Veri Fresh was charged with breaking the news to his kids. They held on stronger then Veri Fresh thought. Jack was trying to be strong for Reggie...and Reggie just didn't believe him for awhile, expecting it to be some sort of cruel prank. When she finally accepted it, she did cry, but Veri Fresh wasn't there to cheer her up.

The man was promoted in death. He went up one rank...he was promoted to Rear Admiral. One last sick twist of fate for him. His entire old crew was present there, except for Veri Fresh. Veri Fresh had a terrible stomach for funerals, but he came and visited him later...and often.

(-back at the bar-)

"And that's how it is," said Jack as he took another drink of alcohol. He had stopped using a cup and even serving the rest of the group halfway through the story. "Our mother ran away when Reggie was four and I was about nine. So, she doesn't know her that well, but Reggie still has a strong grudge against her. Its like she believes if our mother never left, if she never abandoned us, everything would've been better. Everything wouldn't be like it is. Dad wouldn't have died, I wouldn't be a womanizing bartender, and all that other stuff wouldn't be true."

"Who cares," said Dante with a shrug of his shoulders. "All good Marines have some sort of screwed-up history. Either something that happened to them during their childhood," Dante did a quick head nod towards Rina, "something that happened during their job or..." he nodded towards Specter before twisting his head to Alexander, "something else entirely, right Alexander? If you ask me all good Marines get screwed-up, I don't know if they are good Marines because they charged through all that crap and came out alive or if all that crap gets thrown at them because they are Marines."

Alexander shrugged. As it currently stood it seemed like he had to attract the biggest and worst things right now and he still had a ways to go in the Marine ranks. If Dante was right, then Alexander would deserve the title of Fleet Admiral by the time he was 20.

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><p>Could not think of a good title for this chapter...so, I just picked a random line. Forgive me, I'll think of a better one next time...<p>

OKAY! Veri Fresh showed up again in a flashback this time. It looks like the titans from the last era are certainly having trouble now. I think Dante's idea holds some merit. People who are hugely impressive seem to always have a good biography that tells how they struggled all the way through life and then hit it big. Marines are probably the same.


	46. Chapter 46 Getting Trapped

**Getting Trapped**

White docked the ship and stepped off. He smiled as he walked off of the ship followed by his partner. He was upset about the recent change in the mission, but he didn't have much a choice. The orders came straight from the top and now it was up to him to go in and stop the interrogation. It was his job to completely halt to the interrogation by any means necessary and then he had to make sure that she was never interrogated again. He brought a small pistol out and loaded it.

His partner smiled and said, "you should be proud. The gods are smiling on you. This is incredibly important mission and you just happened to be in the right place at the right time. If you complete this mission you may even be promoted. You deserve that promotion, you are one of the prophets in this world. Even though you know it is wrong, you still kill. You kill for the greater good, you are selling your life to create a better world. You deserve this promotion."

White grumbled. His partner, Adam, was not a battle nut, but he was also a religious nut. He wasn't too upset as almost all assassins had some sort of battle nut in them. The religious nut kind of drove him mad, but he just had shrug and ignore it. Adam had an incredible amount of battle prowess. In terms of physical strength, Adam far outweighed White, but White had his trump card. White was a master at collecting data and designing the perfect counter-attack and tactic to take down his opponents. He was planning on taking the next couple of days off and examine Alexander, but that was ruined.

"Are we going to be ascending to the higher level via one of the man-made contraptions or shall we make our own path to it?" asked Adam. White looked at one of the elevators...he had heard from Satoshi that he rigged one of the machines to mess-up and malfunction. If they got in one of the ones he rigged, they would only attract attention and he didn't want to attract attention. The second method of entry it was.

They approached one of the massive pillars that held up the higher level. They used the sun's position to their advantage and approached it from its shadow. Adam went first. He brought his arm first, burying his fingers within the stone pillar. He brought his other arm up and began to hurriedly climb up it. White remained on the ground and kept his eyes out around him on the rest of the people rushing about on the ground.

Adam finally finished and hit the higher level. With one hand holding onto the stone pillar, he freed his other hand and brought it into the ceiling. He burst a small hole into the ceiling. He finally started to continue up and higher onto the top level. White looked around him and made a quick double-check that no one was looking. Adam dropped a thick rope down to White. White grabbed onto it. Adam grabbed a hold of it and backed up, slowly lifting White off of the ground and into the air. Within moments they were on the upper level.

Last time White checked, a large group of Marines left and headed down to a local bar. That would mean if everything went right they could break in, kill Pura Pupuran and escape. The death of Pura Pupuran could go down as nothing more then a rebel soldier biting her own tongue off and drowning in her own blood. It would be a simple act of suicide of a young woman trying to escape interrogation due to her own fragile heart. Pura Pupuran would be against it, of course, nobody liked being a martyr for a company that turned their backs on them.

They neared the Marine Base. White nodded and the two of them went into action, breaking in and killing Pura Pupuran. White wouldn't be surprised if they could get all the way through without raising a ruckus. After all, this Marine Base was one of the relatively small ones. Even if they couldn't, they'd just blame it on the pirates White bribed into attacking Alexander.

White froze as he looked over at the Marine Base. He smiled as he noticed the aforementioned pirates were already up at the Marines Base. They were standing there and looking back behind them. He was curious though as they were with a Marine. He pulled his hat down and got closer to them, just close enough to hear. He held up his hand to signal Adam to stop. The two of them eavesdropped on the conversation between the pirates and the Marine.

"You got to listen to me!" protested Reggie to the guards. "The Captain Alexander that was here was a fake! This is the real one!" Reggie pointed over at Satoshi, who smiled and bowed. "These two were attacked while out at sea! You need to stop the one's who showed up here and throw them in jail! They probably showed up to kill the prisoner and stop us from getting information! We can't allow that to happen."

The guards shared a brief moment of doubt as they looked at each other. It was true that the previous Captain Alexander didn't quite give off the air of a real captain and much less his crew. Aside from him, there was only two other people and an animal. The one standing before them seemed much more strict and disciplined like a Marine should be. However, despite this they still couldn't believe the story.

"Please," said Satoshi as he walked forwards toward the guard, "they attacked me and my crew. They killed poor Rina! They did her in and tossed her out into the ocean to die. I don't care if you don't believe me and let those people tarnish my name, but please you cannot allow them to get away with killing Rina! She didn't deserve to die!"

The guards paused and sighed. They couldn't believe that they didn't believe them in the first place! They should've trusted them right in the first place! Even worse as it currently stood they were off with the boss of the Marine Base getting a drink at their cherished pub. "Okay!" said the first guard as he pressed the alarm, sending the entire Marine Base into a frenzy. He went over to a Den-Den Mushi and shouted into it. "Attention all Marines! We have reason to believe that the previous Captain Alexander that was present in this Marine Base is a fake! The information we have received shows that he is extremely strong and vicious. Caution is advised and excessive force is allowed. Take him down at all costs."

The sounds of the entire Marine Base mobilizing could be heard even from White's position. He shuddered at the thought of having an entire Marine Base coming after him even if it was a small one. Marines were trained soldiers. Whether they were 500 or just five they weren't someone to look down on. Some of them went through hellish training that made Impel Down look like a walk in the park. If even one of those Marines were here no matter who you were you would be in trouble.

White chuckled. He had originally planned on having to dispense of Alexander himself. He was just going to use Satoshi and Seth to gather information, but now...it looked like Alexander would be beaten before then. And if he wasn't then he'd have to deal with Satoshi and Seth right after that. Not to mention that Adam and him would waiting for Alexander if he managed to survive that. White smiled as he watched the Marine Base empty out as the soldiers rushed out of it to attack Alexander. His job just got a little easier.

(-With Alexander-)

They were all finally done eating as they got up and left. Alexander sighed. The meals and drinks definitely weren't all that good, not to mention he couldn't get Jack's story out of his head. Veri Fresh, Reggie's dad, and then finally Void Furrow. It seemed like Veri Fresh's old crew was pretty much spread out. Veri Fresh was a high-ranking Marine, Reggie's dad died in the line of duty, and then Void Furrow was executed for betrayal. Three very different paths for Marines...and very common. He looked over at the rest of the crew...it was hard to tell which path anyone would take. It was Alexander's goal to lead them down the same path as Veri Fresh, but that one would be harder then any others.

"Alexander!" called out Rina, snapping Alexander from his daydream. "We are leaving now." She nodded towards the door and at both Specter and Dante, already tucked away in his coffin, were already most of the way out of it. Alexander shook his head clear of his thoughts and headed towards the door.

Suddenly, as Alexander was stepping out, Specter jumped backwards and forced Rina and Alexander to the ground. Rina was about shout at him when bullets ripped through the walls of the bar like cardboard. The three of them remained still pressed against the floor for a few more seconds. There was a loud buzz of static as the people outside turned on the Den-Den Mushi to speak. "Hello!" the person shouted. "We are here for Alexander and his crew. We have received reports that you are just impersonating the real Alexander. Anyone who sides with Alexander or tries to help him will be considered a traitor as well and will be dealt with accordingly. So, if you wish to avoid a blood bath please leave now."

"What are you talking about?" asked Alexander poking his head out the door. "I'm a Marine and I've been a Marine my entire life!" For most people the line most likely wouldn't be true, but for Alexander it was pretty much spot on. "I don't know who told you differently, but they were lying to you! I am 'The Iron Hammer' Alexander." The Marines responded with a prompt spray of bullets into the wall once more. "Tch..."

"We aren't falling for your lives," shouted the Marines from the outside. "According to the evidence we have found as well as the testimony of two real Marines, we are hereby sentencing you to Death Row for impersonation of a Marine officer as well as the murder of a Marine officer!" Satoshi smiled. The testimony was his and Seth's and as for the evidence that was simple. They just simply relocated the belongings of Alexander and the rest of the crew onto their pirate ship. Now anything that the 'Second Wind' was blamed for they would be as well! It pained him to part with the ship, but the Marine ship Alexander had was much more expensive and luxurious, so it was all okay! "PLEASE RELEASE ALL OF THE HOSTAGES AND COME QUIETLY!" shouted the Marine into the Den-Den Mushi once more.

Dante and his two bodyguards rushed out and into the opening. Alexander frowned, he couldn't believe that that guy would betray them so easily. He looked over his shoulder and saw what they were left with. Aside from his crew for some reason, Jack stayed behind. "Aren't you leaving? All innocent civilians should evacuate. This place is about to become a battleground."

"You kidding me?" asked Jack as he reached down beneath the bar and pulled out a rifle. "If I leave here now I'll be abandoning two of the things that really matter to me! Booze and pretty women!" The crew's spirits immediately fell as they heard the man's stupid reasoning. Alexander shrugged and walked up to Jack. He placed one hand confidently on his shoulder, gripping Jack tightly.

"Sorry, but as a Marine I can't allow any innocent civilians to get hurt in the line of duty. INCOMING!" Alexander twisted around and tossed Jack out of the window and into the air. The numerous Marines all froze as they watched the poor man fly out and land on the ground. "That's it!" shouted Alexander through the door. "All of the hostages are gone...its just me and my crew now!"

"What!" shouted Specter, "don't say stuff like that!" Specter turned around and looked towards the door. "There weren't any hostages! He meant to say civilians, we are being framed honest! We really are Marine officers, Specter Carambole, Chiran Rina, and Alexander!"

"Don't you dare tarnish Chiran Rina's good name, you bastard!" shouted Satoshi as he picked up one of the Marine officer's guns and fired into the room. "You know you sick bastards killed her!" There...that was a good distraction. The rest of the Marines got caught up in the heat of the moment or just heard the gun go off that they immediately began firing too. No one was focusing on the words of the people getting shot at.

* * *

><p>Things just go from bad to worse, don't they? More and more trouble is on the horizon during the next couple of chapters. I kind of liked the lines in this chapter, but the over all writing didn't impress me all too much...oh, well, next chapter will be better...I hope.<p> 


	47. Chapter 47 Surviving the Attack

**Surviving the Attack!**

**A Quick Plan!  
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The crew reacted as fast as they could. They picked up the tables and laid them on their sides forming a semi-effective barrier. They all crouched down behind it. Alexander was in front most position. A few of the bullets that did penetrate their table shield would simply slam into his iron body and bounce off. He would be left with a few injuries, surely, but it was a small price to pay for his crew mates lives.

"Should...I return fire?" asked Specter as he produced his small Pop Grenade Launcher. It was a ridiculous thing to ask. When somebody shoots at you, you automatically return fire, but nobody on the crew wanted to return fire and injure their allies. They were simply misguided Marines. It was stupid of them to be tricked into thinking that they were traitors, but stupidity wasn't against the law. Alexander shook his head and called Specter off. Specter looked worried. It wasn't as if the Marines would take the fact that they weren't returning fire as a sign of good faith and stop, but he understood his captain's unwillingness.

Alexander peered back over the table at the sights of the bar's walls being turned into Swiss cheese and debated about his own ability to weather the fire. He thought about getting up and charging through the hailing bullets and talking to the Marines face-to-face, but at this rate even if he survived the first thousand bullets that hit him another thousand would kill him. His iron body simply evened the playing field. He wasn't immune to bullets, it simply turned iron bullets into something similar to regular high-speed punches. His training ensured that he could survive a lot of those punches, but not this many.

The Marines outside weren't doing much better with a plan either. They were stuck outside. The exact physical strength and weapons their target possessed was unknown. They could also be holding hostages...if what 'Alexander' said was true, the impersonators would use any dirty tricks in the book in order to win. They could be holding hostages or even set up a bomb on the inside of the door. They were trying to handle this situation with the utmost carefulness. They refused to just simply charge in.

"I'll go in," said one of Dante's bodyguards as he pushed past the Marines standing by. He drew his weapon, a small hand-ax. He hated being Dante's bodyguard...he was serving a man who was several years younger then him and very weaker then him. It was an insult, he hoped that this would be the kind of job that would show the higher-ups that he deserved a raise. He tore off his cloak. He had an incredibly tough body, large muscles and he was white. He had shaved bald head and he kept his dark sunglasses on his face. He furrowed his brow as he took a few steps towards the door.

He moved forward towards the door. He busted the door down with an almighty swing of his ax. The door split and crumbled into several small chunks of wood. The man charged in. The guns stopped. The Marines all had their fingers crossed at this last ditch plan.

The man roared as he brought his ax down onto the the table splitting it in two. Alexander, Rina, and Specter all dodged out of the way. The man brought his ax back up into the air and rested it on his shoulder. "I apologize for having to attack you, but as a Marine...I'll do whatever I can to protect the good people around me. In order to do that I must eliminate all threats!" He brought the ax down upon them, aiming to split Alexander straight in two. Alexander dodged backwards, letting the ax smash into the ground beneath him.

The ax was a dangerous weapon. In comparison to almost any other weapon, the ax was probably the strongest and most deadly weapon. The force behind it was amazing. Even against Alexander's iron body, it may be able to cut deep into him. Alexander tucked his arm in and towards his chest. He stepped forward and brought his arm upwards with incredible force. His fist landed on the man's jaw, knocking him upwards and into the air.

Alexander rotated around and lifted one leg into the air, "**Damascus Kick!" **Alexander dropped his leg down into the man's chest, knocking the air out of his lungs. Alexander drove the man into the ground beneath using his superhuman strength. "Wooh...and I was even holding back." Alexander bent down and picked the man up. Once more he flung the body out of the window and towards the Marines, "I don't want to fight you guys, but if you send anyone else in I'll beat them up as well."

"Not your most convincing argument..." muttered Specter. As he moved towards the window, "What my comrade meant to say was that we are innocent as Marines we have no desire to hurt fellow Marines. We only ask that you research our profiles! If you do that you'll be..." another spray of gunfire into the wall made Specter jump backwards and hide behind the table. He was breathing heavily. A one-on-one gun fight...or any other even playing field was good enough for him. But against these odds, he highly doubted he could do anything.

"Not your most convincing argument, either," replied Alexander as he returned to his spot behind the table. "Anybody have any bright ideas?" They had their backs to the wall and were stuck in this location. They didn't have too many moves left to play.

"I-I have an idea..." said Rina with an uneasy smile. She looked over at her partners. She was feeling extremely uneasy at this idea, but it was the only thing they had at the moment. She told her plan to the others.

(-twenty minutes later-)

"Hold up!" shouted Specter. The Marine gunfire stopped for a split second as Specter and Rina marched out with their hands held above their heads. The Marines didn't fire as they came over to them. With extreme caution and speed, they locked both of their hands into handcuffs and backed up. They noticed that neither Rina nor Specter were trying anything. They took their weapons and made way for another Marine.

"Hello!" he boomed, "it looks like I caught us some impersonators! How are you today?" Rina and Specter both shrugged. "Hmm...if I'm not mistaken the Alexander impersonator is not here...where is he?"

"He left us," said Rina. "We let him leave us...we may be going to jail, but he'll find the facts and enough evidence to liberate us!" Rina looked around at the Marines, "and when he does...we'll be free and the so-called 'Alexander' will revealed! And he will be confined due to impersonating a Marine officer! For he is the real Alexander! And we are the real Rina and Specter!"

Satoshi grabbed a gun and fired once more at Rina, "don't use that name in front of me! How dare you tarnish it!" The bullet lodged itself into Rina's shoulder. Rina screamed as she fell towards the ground. Her shoulder was bleeding heavily. Satoshi squirmed uncomfortably, while shooting her was believable, he was terrible shot and missed. He meant to kill her with a single shot...

"HEY!" shouted the Marine pushing Satoshi aside. "They already handed themselves over! Any more damage to them would just be meaningless! I must ask that you yield. I understand your anger, but remember! We are Marines, we are the upholders of Justice! And that doesn't change no matter how many of our allies and friends die!" The Marine pushed Satoshi away, "men, follow me into the bar! We will search high-and-low for the missing impersonator. Remember, if you see him fire on the sight. He couldn't just have disappeared like that, we have men surrounding this entire bar! He's still in there somewhere."

Rina bit her lip. She was growing worried over Alexander. The plan wasn't exactly fool-proof and seeing as how it relied on Alexander...she was starting to worry even more. Satoshi bent over closer to her ear, "I don't care how good of a guy Alexander is...you are all screwed. He couldn't have escaped the building, so we'll find him and when we do all three of you are dying."

Rina looked up at him, "earlier y-you shot me when I sa-said Rina...I guess that makes you the fake Al-Alexander." Satoshi smiled and nodded. Rina looked over at Specter. "Well...y-your plan failed." Satoshi frowned, he was about bring his hand around and slap her, but he noticed the Marines were coming back out, so he held back.

Satoshi smiled and waited to hear the good news. As more and more Marines began to pour out, his smile disappeared. Soon all the Marines that rushed in were out once more. Alexander wasn't with them. "Please tell all civilians and officers alike that they should be on the look-out for the fake 'Captain Alexander'."

Satoshi's face fell at the news. How...how could he have escaped? The two possibilities was that Alexander would resist and get shot or that Alexander would comply and get locked up where Satoshi could kill him himself! But Alexander chose Plan C...Satoshi couldn't kill him if he couldn't find him and now they bought more then enough time for the Marines to do proper research and find out that he was lying to them! If they would've just captured Alexander, he could've killed him and be on his way! He looked back over at Rina and Specter both of them had a confident grin on their faces. Satoshi swerved over and looked at Seth, his partner.

Seth was waiting patiently for everything to blow over and on top of that he was smiling. Seth was a battle junkie and ever since Satoshi took White up on the offer, Seth had been looking forward to a one-on-one fight with someone who ticked assassins off. He was starting to think that he would miss on that opportunity. It looked like he wouldn't though.

"Take them to the prison!" shouted the Marine. The rest of the group nodded instantly. They went over and picked up Rina and Specter, dragging them off and towards the Marine Base. The entire group seemed to lag slightly as they debated about leaving the bar alone and unguarded. Rina noticed that Reggie stayed back alongside her brother to help take care of the bar. So far everything was working out okay, she just had to hope that Alexander could stay out of trouble long enough in order to save them...or that they would stay alive long enough...

"Get going," shouted the Marine as he shoved Rina and Specter forward through the dirty grounds. The two of them trudged on with their heads high. They were showed back into the Marine Base and led down the numerous flights of stairs and finally into the prison. They shoved the two of them into two separate cells, but they were still side-by-side.

They sat up and watched the Marines leave. "We really hedging all of our bets onto Alexander, huh?" asked Specter as he laid back against the wall in his cell. "This is gonna suck...I just wanted to come here and bet my savings away, but instead I ended up in jail. FOR SOMETHING I DIDN'T EVEN DO!"

Rina shrugged and kept her eyes trained on the door. Alexander wasn't the only one that managed to escape the trap, Hayate was also free. She wasn't too happy that those two were free and supposed to be working together to free them. They weren't exactly the best partners.

"Hello, friends," said Dante with a smile as he walked into the prison. He was smiling widely. "I can't believe that you were fakes. You definitely surprised me...actually I don't fully believe it, but what can I say. There's no such thing as fully innocent in this world. I've actually tortured several completely innocent people before...I tortured them to death actually." Dante smiled as he looked down upon Rina.

Rina scoffed at him, "Alexander was right about you, you know? You are just a Marine approved s-scumbag." Rina stared defiantly back up at Dante. Dabte simply smirked at her.

"Oh, is that how you feel about me?" he asked as he backed up and turned around and began to head back towards the door. "Even after I worked so hard to make sure you shared a cell with a friend?" he asked with a devious chuckle. Rina leaned forward and looked back out and at the door. She froze as she watched the Marines walk a familiar face into the room. The Marines led Pura Pupuran over to her cell and dumped her in alongside Rina.

* * *

><p>I'm actually kind of surprised. I found out that in terms of people who favoritedfollowed my stories, Iron Hammer is actually the LEAST popular. Why am I surprised by that fact? Because in terms of numbers of reviews per chapter Iron Hammer is the highest! Weird huh?

The story is heating up with Alexander slipping away (for those of you who think you know how, go ahead and brag about it and mention your theories) and now Rina being roomies with the girl who she locked up (in other words if it weren't for Rina, Pura Pupuran would never have been tortured).


	48. Chapter 48 A Failed Escape Attempt

**A Failed Escape Attempt!**

Reggie and Jack had been working at fixing up the bar for a little over two hours now. They were both tired and beginning to become exhausted. They stood up and left to go get a bite to eat. The store was destroyed and ruined due to the disastrous shoot-out. The walls were riddled with bullets, neither of them wanted to blame the Marines, but in all honesty it was all their fault. Reggie was still upset about the fact that they still couldn't find anything relating to Alexander. The man had absolutely no manners, he killed a Marine officer, and now he was on the loose.

The bar was empty. Both Reggie and Jack were gone. The Marines didn't know much about Alexander or the reason why he was called the Iron Hammer. When they turned the place upside down in search of him, the only thing they found was beer, bullets, and an iron mace. They ignored everything as they didn't believe none of this could help them find Alexander...much less be Alexander.

The iron mace rolled over and slowly grew back up to be Alexander's full human form. He took a breather. Rina's plan turned out to be true, but regardless of that fact he was still worried as he sat there and the Marines who wanted to kill him came within spitting distance. He walked towards the door and poked his head out. The Marines had all left, Alexander let out a breath of relief. He didn't want to have to fight through a wall of Marines.

He was about to take a step out when he heard Reggie shout, "hang on Jack I forgot something back at the bar!" Alexander pulled his head back into the bar and backed away. Hiding probably wasn't such a good idea...and there was no way out. He'd just have to go back and do Rina's plan. His body shrunk down and turned into hard iron. He was back into his mace form and was just hiding out on the floor.

Reggie stepped into the bar. She rushed over picked up a small pistol, "I don't know why I even keep this on me," she muttered as she lifted the gun into the air. She took aim with the gun. She pointed the gun out the window and pulled the trigger, there was a slight clank as the gun tried to fire, but failed. "Yup, always misfires." She sighed as she stuffed the gun into a small holster on her side. She got up and began to walk out when she paused.

She remembered doing a full inventory of everything when she first came in and the weapon on the ground, the mace wasn't there to begin with. It wasn't even close to there. She sighed, "Jack is so irresponsible. Moving this mace to some place and then dropping it on the ground." She bent down and picked it up. She didn't even know why Jack had a mace, it made no sense to her. She sighed as she tossed it over her shoulder. If Jack didn't care about it why should she?

"OW!" shouted Alexander as he hit the ground. He flinched as he saw Reggie stop in her tracks. She paused as she looked around her. She reached into her holster and pulled out her small revolver once more. She took aim and spun around, trying to identify the source of the voice.

She took a couple of steps into the bar, "I heard that." She was biting into her tongue hard as she walked about in the room. It was a terrible habit of hers. She always bit her tongue in bad situations and she usually bit down onto it very hard. She actually had a scar on her tongue from when she bit down onto it too hard. "Come on out whoever you are...unless you are a ghost then just stay where you are..." Reggie hated to admit, mostly because Jack made endless fun of her, but she wasn't a fan of the dark...or ghosts. And the more and more she looked around the more and more it seems like ghosts were an incredible possibility. Nobody else was around, but somebody said 'ow'.

"Yes, yes!" wailed Alexander as an idea hit him, "I am a ghost! Whooooooo! The ghost of...of...an old pirate...I came here one day, one day before the Marine Base was built. I was trying to make a name for myself I even shot a man, but I was killed...killed by a man with a funny hairdo! Whooooo!"Alexander remembered the story of how Reggie's father died and decided to use that as a basis. "And as a ghost my one unfinished business with this world is...that I cannot accept dying by the hands of someone with hair like that!"

"You...you mean Veri Fresh?" asked Reggie as she lowered the gun to her side. "Veri Fresh killed you?" She paused as she considered the possibilities. She found Veri Fresh's hair to be funny when she was a kid, but now she found it annoying. She couldn't believe that his hairdo actually made people come back as ghosts. It makes sense, though, if she died at the hands of someone who looked like that, she probably would want to come back and finish the job. Wait a second...

"You..." she muttered as she dropped her ground. "You were the one that was murdered by Veri Fresh on this island?" Alexander paused as he thought of the story once more. He didn't count on Reggie getting angry with him, but it looks like that was how it was turning out. "YOU KILLED MY FATHER!" Reggie pulled a frying pan out of her bag and charged. She swung the frying pan around and into the air! "Show yourself so I can send you to hell with my own two hands!"

"This was not a good idea," said Alexander. Reggie stopped and turned around. She looked about the room and finally her eyes laid on the mace. Alexander started to panic. Reggie slowly started to walk towards the mace. "No!" commanded Alexander, "the mace is completely harmless and unrelated to this current matter, let's just leave peacefully..."

"Now that I think about it..." muttered Reggie as she leaned down close to the mace, "you sound like somebody I know." She brought her frying pan up and into the air, "you sound like Alexander..." she took a mighty swing with her frying pan. The frying pan smashed into the mace and sent flying through the room.

"OW!" shouted Alexander as he hit the wall. Alexander flinched once more as he saw Reggie's reaction. She put it all together. She ran over to the mace and place her foot squarely on it. It made Alexander pause for a brief moment. Reggie looked like a girl who completely screwed over her femininity for some reason, but she was wearing some kind of high heel as it currently stood. He didn't fully understand why, but he had to guess that it had something to do with the dangerous end of the heel. It would probably hurt even worse then the frying pan.

"I'm fairly certain that you are Captain Alexander...doing something to...become a mace?" even as Reggie said it she noticed that the idea was insane. It was something that only a drunken idiot or little child would think of. She's heard of weirder, but this was the first time she ever laid eyes on something like this. "You got a few more seconds before I start melting you down."

Alexander sighed. He returned to his human form. Reggie stared downwards at him wide-eyed. "Yeah, I know. You are amazed at what I can do and more then likely I am also under arrest." Alexander curled up and launched an upwards kick, knocking the frying pan clear out of his hand. Alexander used the momentum to roll and land back on his feet. He immediately backed up and separated himself from Reggie.

Reggie paused as she watched him move. Finally when she snapped out of it, she brought her hand down to her gun and picked it up. She took aim at Alexander's head. "I have a gun and I'm not afraid to use it," commanded Reggie as she waved the gun about in air. As brave as she was pretending to be, she was sweating from the pressure. She had been a cook her entire life and now she was face to face with some man who could become a mace. She had very little real combat experience. She had trained, sure...but that doesn't account for much when in the face of danger.

Alexander chuckled as he walked forward towards the gun. "What a coincidence!" said Alexander as he grabbed a hold of the gun. His entire body morphed into his iron form. He pulled down on the gun, snapping the barrel clean off. "I'm not afraid of your gun either!"

Reggie looked down at her gun in shock. She wasn't about to stay still though, she quickly grabbed a hold of her frying pan and spun around. She slammed the frying pan straight into the side of Alexander's face knocking him down and onto the ground. Reggie jumped up and was already preparing a second swing with her frying pan. Alexander brought his leg forward and thrust his foot forward and into the frying pan knocking it backwards. Alexander jumped onto his feet and rushed towards. Reggie panicked, she ducked down and swung her frying pan across the ground and into Alexander's knees. Alexander stumbled forward. The strike made his knee unstable and would probably slow him down in this fight and any other fight he would get into it.

"You are under arrest!" shouted Reggie as she approached Alexander. She brought her foot up and onto Alexander's chest. She began to apply pressure and press her heels into him. Alexander morphed into his weapon form. The smaller and rounder form made it harder for Reggie to keep pressure on Alexander correctly. Her foot slipped and fell to the floor. Alexander broke free. He rolled to the side and returned to his half-human form. He was back onto his feet. Reggie muttered as she stood back up. Alexander wasn't untalented when it came to battles, she was starting to see how he managed to beat one of the newest rising stars amongst the Marines. "You are quite talented for a run-of-the-mill pirate. I'm amazed at your strength."

"For the last time I'm not a run-of-the-mill pirate," complained Alexander, "if I was a pirate and I'm not saying I am I would at least be a Shichibukai level...that's not the point. I am the rising star of the Marines right now. I am 'The Iron Hammer' Alexander hence I can turn into an iron hammer, technically a mace, but iron hammer has a nicer ring to it apparently. Our publicity department is kind of bad with names like that."

"What would you do if I said 'I don't believe you'?" asked Reggie as she brought her frying pan back around and placing it on her shoulder preparing for another full swing with her frying pan.

"I apologize, but if you were to say that I'd have to beat the truth into you," said Alexander as he took up a fighting stance. Separating his feet to give him better balance as well the ability to dash to the sides quicker. He had already taken numerous swings to the head from that frying pan and on top of that Alexander was holding back still in the last fight. He didn't want to beat her up, she was a fellow Marine. He had no reason to beat up a fellow law enforcer. However, he feared he didn't have that much of an option now...

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><p>Congratulations to those who brought up Alexander's ability to transform into a mace and hide! You were right! However, that's just where Alexander is...we are still missing the furry third member of the Iron Hammer crew, Hayate! Where is he?<p> 


	49. Chapter 49 Keep An Eye Out

**Keeping An Eye Open**

Rina was huddled in the corner closest to Specter's wall. She was stuck face-to-face with one of the few people she was personally responsible for locking up. She was shivering as she looked at her. She was torn to shreds and completely broken. Her arms and legs were burnt due to the flames. She had numerous bumps and bruises and cuts on her from Dante's interrogation that she hardly looked like a human. And it was all Rina's fault. Every terrible thing that had happened to Pura Pupuran was her fault...completely and utterly her fault.

Pura Pupuran just collapsed into the corner. She was drained of all energy. She was tired and bleeding. She was just completely exhausted. She looked up from her seat and at Rina. "Looks like the shoe is on the other foot now..." she breathed heavily as her head drooped. She had no energy left to hold it up. "I'm expecting Dante will have more fun torturing you soon...maybe he'll scrape your skin off and then poor salt all over you. Have fun. Cause you're next..."

Rina pushed herself up closer to the wall at the far end away from Pura Pupuran. She was wrongfully imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit, she was in prison with someone who hated her, and tomorrow she may be meeting with a dangerous torture maniac. She will not be able to relax at all.

(-With Alexander and Reggie-)

Reggie swung her frying pan forward with all of her might. Alexander brought one arm up and then placed the hand of his second arm into the inside of his elbow. Reggie's frying pan smashed into Alexander's hand, but his advanced Cross-Arm block absorbed most of the damage. Alexander charged inwards and towards Reggie. Reggie's frying pan gave her a longer reach then Alexander, but a longer reach meant that Reggie's close-range was worse then his. He just needed to press in...Alexander finally got close enough to Reggie and launched a quick punch to her side.

Reggie's hands were faster then Alexander gave her credit for. She brought them in and blocked the close-ranged punch. Against a normal person Alexander was confident that his punch would've been strong enough to break their bones, but Reggie brought her frying pan in as well using that to buffer the blow rather then just her arms. Then again Alexander also wasn't using his full power. He had switched back to his human form. He didn't want to destroy his opponent as she was supposed to be his ally, so his hybrid form would've been overkill on her.

Reggie didn't share the idea. She came out swinging with her frying pan once more, except rather then using the large flat bottom of it, she twisted the frying pan around. This time the side of the frying pan came swinging at Alexander. The side was smaller so the damage and power was more concentrated as well as the fact that it had a small rim, which jutted a little bit further at the top then the rest. It would be a lot more destructive if it hit. Alexander brought his hand up and swatted the frying pan away and throwing Reggie off-balance at the same time. Alexander didn't waste that opening. He stepped in with full force and fired a single punch into Reggie's gut. Reggie cringed as she took the full blow, but she didn't buckle.

This was Reggie's only chance. She was stuck in a hot kitchen day-in and day-out. She didn't have any chances to show her true power. If things continued like this she would grow old in that kitchen servicing Dante's weird tastes. She wanted out as quickly as possible and taking down Alexander would be the best way to do it. If she beat him, she would be the person who beat the person who beat a captain! That had to count for something! With that under her belt she would have enough leverage to convince the higher-ups she was fit to be sailing the seas!

She wasn't going down here! Reggie gritted her teeth and swung the frying pan around and into Alexander's head. The flat bottom smashed into him. Alexander was caught totally unaware and surprised. He had confidence in both the placement of the punch as well as the power behind it, it made no sense that someone would be capable of standing up to it. It should've been more then enough to knock her unconscious or possibly even break rib or two, but she showed no such weakness. She was still standing and, if anything changed, it was that she had more energy now. She was already preparing her next swing, bringing the frying pan and then twisting her entire body to send it forward. Alexander brought his arms up to block it, but this time it proved futile. The force behind the swing was greater then before and it winded up blowing Alexander back.

"_I wonder why Jack hasn't shown up, yet," _thought Reggie as she brought her frying pan up to her face to block another swing from Alexander. _"No! No, if he shows up then the report will show that we outnumbered him and that's why we won! Or they may put all the praise on Jack, since he's a boy and I'm a girl! This has to be my win and my win alone!" _Reggie brought the frying pan back around with frightening power and speed at Alexander. Alexander tripped backwards over the bar's carelessly dirty floor. It still hadn't been cleaned since the shoot-out so Alexander only assumed that he stepped on a piece of debris, possibly even a beer bottle and slipped on that, but it didn't matter now. Reggie was already glowering over him, preparing to bring the frying pan down as if it was an ax.

Reggie brought the frying pan down and into Alexander. Alexander did the only thing he could think of. He went into his hybrid form. The frying pan smashed full-speed into Alexander's iron gut. It was probably only thanks to that that he managed to weather the blow. Alexander brought his legs up and kicked free of Reggie. They were both back up on their feet in a matter of seconds.

"I don't want to keep fighting you," said Alexander. "I'm the Captain Alexander of the Marines. Whoever said I wasn't was lying to you! I'm innocent of any and all crimes they accused me of! And in case you are wondering Chiran Rina is alive and locked up because of you guys! Just call and ask Veri Fresh about it!"

"Veri Fresh? HAH!" laughed Reggie, "your friends already tried that. They gave us a number and said it was Captain Alexander's own personal number!" Alexander smiled as long as the number got passed along that was good news, even if they hadn't called yet it would only be a matter of time. "And we called their bluff along with the number! Veri Fresh didn't answer it! Instead it was some insane older woman who screamed us for using this number and said it was for emergencies only. You guys just expected us not to call it and believe you because you mentioned Veri Fresh! Not happening!"

Alexander cringed. It was no doubt that they probably called them while Veri Fresh was busy or something and got a hold of his daughter...or possibly even his wife, according to Veri Fresh his daughter takes after her. If that was the case their trump card was down the drain...now the only thing left would be to break in and grab their records or hope that the Marines were doing that right now.

It made sense that they wouldn't waste a second and capture and detain them first. After all, if the lies were actually the truth and they decided to wait and check, they would've let a criminal escape and that wasn't what Marines were supposed to do. Not to mention Alexander was also guilty of that...back when he met Gyro, the cross-spearman, and his boss he fought with them because he was told that they were big criminals and he never decided to check. He wasn't going to nor was he necessarily allowed to get on the Marines' back about making the same mistake he made.

The frying pan came back around during Alexander's brief haze. Alexander grunted as he was knocked back from the force. He tried to bring his feet back down and into the ground to catch himself, but he couldn't. Reggie was already moving inwards at him speeding inwards at Alexander, she brought the frying pan back around and at him. Alexander brought his arms down to guard from the blow. The guard did very little to block the swing, though, and Alexander was still pushed backwards due to the strength and angle of the blow. Alexander shouted as he swung his fist upwards into the air and back down at the top of Reggie's head. Reggie flinched and swayed backwards avoiding the blow.

The power of his punch was unreal. In the earlier part of the match Alexander was still human at least in looks and body, but now Alexander turned into his hybrid form. The iron body only amplified his fighting strength as well as his increased his density and hardness level. Both of those elements turned his fist which was already above par into a superhuman punch. The only thing Reggie could do now was hope that the iron body slowed him down enough where she could dodge it, she doubted even her frying pan could weather a punch from the improved Alexander.

Reggie tried to back up with a quick back-step, she was desperate to distance herself from Alexander. Alexander wasn't allowing that he pressed forward moving inwards and closer to Reggie. He went to push in as deep as possible. He took one massive step in. He pushed in too deep. Alexander never fought head-to-head with a girl before. Its not something that was heavily practiced guy-on-girl fights. Alexander didn't know why, especially after taking so many hits from both Rina and now Reggie, both of them having an excess of strength that put many guys to shame, but he never had the chance to fight with full-power against a girl.

As a result when he pushed forward and aimed to move into her chest, he moved in too far and too fast against a girl. He pressed his head perfectly into her breasts. Alexander paused almost lost in thought as he felt the two plushy bags surround him. He wasn't used to the feeling. Whenever he charged in, he always stopped short in order to give him enough room for a full-swing and even when he didn't he always hit a hard body which allowed him to shove them back. This time he ran into human skin and stopped, but it was soft enough that it absorbed the push and didn't push her back. Only thing it did was tick her off.

"Why you!" Reggie twisted her body and channeled that anger into her swing. Alexander was too dazed to block or dodge. The frying pan came smashing through and into Alexander's head. He was thrown backwards and collided with the ground. Alexander had to count his blessings for that brief moment, if the weapon Reggie was using had been a sword or an ax the swing would've been finishing blow and took the top of his head off. He would've died pretty fast. The fact that it was a frying pan was odd, but it saved his life so Alexander would just take solace in that small fact.

"You jerk!" shouted Reggie as she swung at Alexander. Alexander backed up, pushing his way out of her attack's path. He went backwards and pushed the doors wide open, stumbling outside. Reggie didn't stop and charged after him, several swing with her frying pan. Alexander swayed backwards each time. His head was aching and he wasn't thinking straight. Reggie's body was becoming blurry and distorted due to her previous blow. Alexander was having trouble landing blows on her. He just needed to lean back and recover from the last couple of blows.

Reggie continued to charge at him. Each swing sent Alexander backing up another step just to avoid it. Alexander ignored the fact that they were out in public. The Marines were all gathered in the Marine Base waiting for orders on what to do to the two they captured. There interest in Alexander was limited until they got a lead on what to do. He just needed to focus on this fight with Reggie. Another wide swing sent Reggie forward at Alexander. Alexander ducked down and to the side, dodging past Reggie. Alexander was moving sluggishly, though, and his foot was stuck sticking out in front of Reggie. The force behind her swing sent her stumbling over Alexander's leg and forward.

Reggie's eyes widened. They didn't bother twisting around and following Alexander's movement. They were stuck on what was in front of her, what was behind Alexander. The geyser elevators were a great design that allowed the people to use natural energy to travel from the bottom floor to the top floor. However, in order for the elevators to reach the top floor they had drilled several holes into the top floor for the elevator to pass through. These holes were always present in the top floor and one of the dangers of living here was falling through one. Sadly for Reggie she was stumbling straight for one.

And with that she fell straight through.

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><p>...not much I can think to say...probably because I'm having a busy day and I'm putting this up in the free half-an-hour time slot I've been provided. Bye!<p> 


	50. Chapter 50 Surviving the Fall

**Surviving the Fall**

"Ha ha ha ha!" laughed Satoshi as he walked about the room. "Those Marines were eating out of the palm of my hand. I had them so totally fooled, they would've been willing to kill the crew in a second! They were so gullible! This job is becoming increasingly easy with those morons on our side. I'm not too happy about the fact that Alexander escaped, but I can live with that for the time being cause I WON! They lost already! A few more hours and we'll get paid an incredible amount!"

"We are being followed," said Seth calmly as he walked behind Satoshi. Satoshi froze in his spot. He immediately dodged to Seth's side, shaking.

"Who is it? Where is he?" Satoshi asked panicky, looking around Seth to see the follower. Seth turned around and pointed down at the ground at Hayate. Hayate growled and barked at the man. Satoshi laughed loudly for couple of seconds, then he turned around and faced Seth. "What the hell man!? I thought you were going to point out a Marine!? Or at least a human? Why would you scare me over something as stupid as a dog? If you want to just kill it!" Hayate barked even louder at that remark.

"I don't mind dogs," muttered Seth as he looked at Hayate. He recognized the dog from the Marine girl, he was at her heels for awhile. Ever since they left the shooting, he had been trailing them. Seth smelled his shirt, wondering if he had the smell of bacon grease on him or something. He didn't understand why the dog was following him. Did the Marine girl specifically tell the dog to trail them? If so, then he could attract attention to them with his constant barking. He could also signal to the missing Alexander that they were the people responsible. Seth paused as he looked over at the dog. He was probably just being paranoid. Seth shrugged it off and continued behind Satoshi.

Hayate followed closely behind them.

(-With Alexander-)

Alexander paused as he looked down the hole as Reggie began falling. He had already fallen down once from this height, so it sufficed to say that he had no interest in taking another dive. Combine that with the fact that Reggie as just trying to arrest him, it could easily be said that he had no interest in risking his life for hers. However, it was a true fact that that was part of a Marines' job. Putting their lives on the line to save somebody else's. An all or nothing gamble was the Marines' specialty.

Alexander leapt down jumping off of the top floor of the island and down the hole. The geyser elevators were pretty updated technology. Rather then just a metal box on top of a geyser, they added other support like large metal beams in order to better direct the box up as well as avoid having the box tip over halfway up the geyser. Alexander had to rely on these in order for the support. He reached out and grabbed onto the metal poles. His weight only dragged him down. If he was a normal human with human skin rather then an iron shell it would've been peeled off from the friction and the bolts.

Even in his iron form Alexander still had to cringe while he slid down and felt the metal begin to dig even deeper into his skin. He didn't quite have much option and just had to bear it. Alexander was finally situated and let go. He need to fall down faster as it was, he needed to the close the distance between him and his target. Alexander straightened himself up and allowed himself to fall faster. He fell down like a newly fired missile.

He was closing in to Reggie's body. Reggie tried to slow her decent by herself, but whenever she tried to grab onto the poles, her skin was ripped off by the sharp edges or a loose bolt. She struck out with her frying pan and tried to use that to shield her hands, but it still didn't do any good.

"Give me your hand," shouted Alexander as he closed in onto Reggie. Reggie turned away from him in the air, a mixture of stubbornness as well as distrust prevented her from accepting Alexander's hand. She pulled her heavy hoodie further down her arms and covered up her hands. She reached out and grabbed onto poles trying once again. It slowed her down a little, but soon enough the metal poles managed to dig into hoodie and just cut another hole into them. Reggie had to let go as the metal began digging into her hands again.

Alexander sighed as he watched Reggie fall farther. He didn't have much of choice as he made another check on their progress. They were definitely get closer to the ground. He looked up and decided against listening to her. Her leapt from the metal poles, kicking against them and sending him forward. He grabbed a hold of Reggie and balled up. They didn't have enough time to slow themselves down and land safely. It was a split-decision, but Alexander didn't believe that landing on the metal elevator would be any better then landing on the ground. He decided that the ground would be better, so he tried to redirect himself over there.

Alexander tightened his muscles, closed his eyes, and hoped that he would survive his second crash of the day. Alexander felt his back smash into the ground with a final thud, but everything after that disappeared into a thick black screen. He fell unconscious.

Reggie pushed Alexander's arms off of her. He had a very strong grip and even unconscious she felt his strength bearing down on her. If he was actually trying she doubted she would've escaped. She crawled out of his arms and onto the ground. The world was starting to turn fuzzy for her as well, the impact was significantly muffled when she hit the ground since Alexander had shielded her, but that still didn't change the fact that she had fallen from such a high height.

She believed the top level of the island was probably...three to four stories off of the ground. It was incredibly high-up and she doubted she would've survived the fall. She didn't think anybody would've survived the fall. She cocked her head to the side and stared at Alexander, who had not only taken the fall and survived it, but also saved her while at it. Reggie struggled to stand, but her legs were still unstable from the fall. She was close to falling over and collapsing. Finally she managed to stabilize herself and stand up on her own two feet.

She looked down at Alexander who was passed out and sleeping peacefully. There was no better time to call the Marines to come pick him up. He was knocked out cold and unconscious, he couldn't stop them now. It would be simple...she would just have to go to any of the nearby homes and call the Marine Base, they would send an entire crew down here to pick him up and she would be rewarded with both money and a promotion. Everything would be easy for her if she just called the Marine Base right now.

However, she didn't. Her legs were stuck in their spot they didn't move towards any house and she stayed positioned over Alexander's unconscious lump of a body. She blamed the fall. Not the fact that Alexander saved her from it, but the fact that her legs hurt. She didn't go and turn Alexander in because she couldn't move her legs, not because she didn't want to.

Suddenly some voices could be heard over the hills. Reggie looked over the horizon to see 'Alexander' and his partner coming up on the nearby path. Reggie panicked and looked around. If they found Alexander they would turn him in! Not that she was against turning Alexander in...more like she didn't want anybody else to turn him in! Reggie took off her cut-up hoodie and laid it down covering Alexander's body. Then she took off her Marine cap and laid it on top of Alexander's face covering it from the other guys' view. She looked down and noticed his beret and swiped it off of his head as well hiding it behind her. To anybody else it would appear that a Marine had just laid down and taken a well-deserved nap.

She collapsed down next to him, her legs giving out beneath her. A few seconds on the ground would be nice. She sat there on the ground, next to the unconscious Alexander and kept her head up. Reggie closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep as well, she thought it would look more convincing. She watched as both Satoshi and Seth walked by. Reggie's left eye barely creaked open, just enough to see out, but not enough for it to be obvious she was watching. Satoshi smiled and snickered for a moment as he looked down at the two Marines carelessly sleeping outside.

Satoshi sucked his lips into his mouth as he looked at them. He thought temporarily about pulling his knife out and just digging it into their faces while they laid there asleep, but it wouldn't profit him at all. Satoshi didn't like to kill people, it was just usually a fairly well paying job. He didn't have a reason to kill these two people as he stood above them, but he had thought about it. He shrugged it off and turned around and left them to be. Seth paused for a couple of seconds standing above the two of the Marines for a couple more seconds.

Seth looked down on them. He slowly opened and closed his hands, tightening them into a fist. He had been playing as a mister goody-two-shoes for so long, he was growing bored. He wanted to fight someone. The two Marines that laid before him might be a good work-up, maybe he'd even break a sweat. "SETH!" shouted Satoshi, snapping the idea out of Seth's head. Seth turned down and looked at him like a trained dog. "Let's get going! Leave them be!" Seth nodded and followed him, he supposed he'd have to wait a little bit longer before he got to stretch out his muscles.

Reggie remained sitting there on the ground for a few more seconds, just to make sure that they had left. Once she was sure, she stood up. Her legs were all better, whether or not the short rest did it or it was the fact that she had something else supplying her with motivation now. She paused staring down the road and at the two of them as they walked away with a small dog yipping at their heels. It could've been a slip of the tongue, a complete accident, but Reggie knew what she had heard. He called him 'Seth'.

If it had been any other time, she might of shrugged it off. She wasn't even sure if she would've noticed it if it wasn't due to the fact that Alexander just saved her life and her head was filled with doubts, but she did notice it and that was that! She was now one-hundred percent convinced that that man was not Captain Alexander. He was the imposter. She tried to trudge off after him, but found her foot getting stuck already by Alexander's aforementioned powerful grip.

Alexander had snaked one of his hands free and hand wrapped around her foot and was holding her steady, "food."

(-With Rina-)

Rina was sitting in the cell all alone. Dante had already taken Pura Pupuran out and into the interrogation room, leaving Rina all alone with Specter, who wasn't a very nice person to chat with. He would talk with her, but most of the time his chats would go off on some wild adjacent that Rina would prefer not to ever hear. He would talk about gambling or women with her like she was a guy. She was already missing Pura Pupuran's cruel mutterings, Dante's insane ramblings, or even Alexander's accidentally staying something stupid. Anyone of those would be preferred. However, Specter's voice wasn't the worse thing that she could hear right now.

No, the worst thing was what was happening in the interrogation room. Pura Pupuran screams were filling the halls. Dante had left the doorway to the room open, just so she could hear her. She was sure of it. It would start off quiet, Dante letting Pura Pupuran have a brief moment of rest and relaxation only for him to take it away in the next second. The sound of some kind of saw would start up, then Pura Pupuran's blood curdling screams filled the halls once more.

Rina was slinking further and further down to the ground whenever another scream would start up. Her eyes were still wide with Pura Pupuran's words, "_You're next."_ The words seemed to echo in the cell as well in her head. It was a continuous sound almost inescapable.

"HEY!" shouted Specter with an incredibly loud yell, snapping Rina from her funk. Rina looked up and over at him...or at the wall separating them. "Listen, I promise you...I promise Alexander, Sengoku, Ambrose, and all other Fleet Admirals that exist and ever have existed...I will promise God himself...I promise all the..."

"Get on with it," said Rina, not even capable of finding enough energy in her to yell at him. She hadn't slept at all with Pura Pupuran staring at her from across the room. She just didn't have the energy to waste on Specter.

"Fine...I promise you, Alexander will get us out of here," he said with confidence, "and if he doesn't...well, then we have bigger problems to worry about cause apparently hell has frozen over. Although according _a _famous author actually previous stated that Hell is already..."_  
><em>

"Shut up," said Rina. Those were the words she needed to hear. She remembered that Alexander was out there still. Alexander and Hayate. They were both putting their neck out on the line to save her and they will. With those thought filling her head she finally slipped away into sleep.

* * *

><p>Yes, Reggie is finally coming around to believe Alexander! Not only because he almost died trying to save her, but because Satoshi can't keep his big mouth shut. Not only that but it appears as if Specter is helping Rina calm down. And, yes, for those of your who put it together Specter is talking about <em>The Inferno <em>by Dante Alighieri (who just happens to be the namesake for Dante in this story).

Also, for those of you who don't read Saga of the Infinity Pirates (my other OC story for One Piece). It was recently reported due to it being an 'interactive story' due to the SYOC part of it. Which means that threat might extend to this story as well. So, I am looking for a new host site for it and possibly IHoJ. If you know of a good one, please pass it on to me. (remember to put spaces around the .net part of it. Example. fanfiction . net).


	51. Chapter 51 In the Nick of Time

**In the Nick of Time**

Reggie stood still in her brother's bar as she had just finished preparing enough food for three people. Across from her sat Alexander who was picking the food up and shoveling the food into his mouth without any restraint. Jack, Reggie's brother, stood motionless with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. He took a swig from it and finally decided to be the first one to speak, "tastes good, don't it? That's my little sister's cooking for you. She's the only one in the family that can actually cook though, both me and my dad suck at it!"

Alexander didn't say anything as his mouth was too busy with more important matters, but he managed to do a quick nod. Although in all reality, Alexander's taste-buds were probably the least reliable in the world. Apparently good taste wasn't rated very highly when the Marines were trying to figure out how to build the perfect the soldier. Of course, Alexander was still born with a sense of taste, but that was quickly destroyed when he was training. His food was mix of slob with just a hint of protein for muscles. And compared to that the stuff pigs eat tasted better.

Alexander sat up in his seat and leaned back, content with his latest meal. Jumping from a four-story building and outrunning cops took a lot of energy out of a person. Admittedly, Alexander didn't finish the meal leaving a little over a plate left. He smiled as he pushed his chair back and stood up, "I appreciate the help, but I got my friends to save."

"I'll go with you," offered Reggie standing up and taking a step forward, but Alexander stopped her. Jack didn't look all too thrilled about her going either as he finally put his bottle down, "what? Don't want my help? If I remember correctly, I was beating you up pretty good when we fought!"

"No!" shouted Alexander slamming his fist down into the table with his renewed strength. Reggie flinched as she saw the table kind of crumple under his power, "if I fail, then that means that me and anyone who has helped me is going to go to jail for betrayal! And no one else will get dragged down because of me! If you help me out and I fail...then that means you will lose your Marine status and the world needs more good Marines like you."

"So...you are saying you are going to fail? You are going to let your crew mates go to jail because you are going to fail this mission?" asked Reggie as she lifted an eyebrow at Alexander's words. He paused as he considered that. It was obvious it was just provoking him, but nonetheless he decided to take the bait.

"I'm not going to fail! I'm going to rescue my crew mates!" Alexander barked back at her, standing up from his seat and standing in front of her, defiantly.

"Then why does it matter if I help you out since you aren't going to fail?"asked Reggie, "as long as you don't fail then you have no reason to worry about me, right?" Reggie smiled as Alexander fumbled about in his brain trying to find the right words.

"Just in case I do!" shouted Alexander back at her. "I don't want to take any unnecessary risks!"

"Well, it sounds to me that you are going to fail," said Reggie with a casual shrug, "so, I guess that means you need my help since I know for a fact that I'm not going to fail after all, I'm a true-blooded Marine in that aspect. And we Marines, we don't fail." With that as her finishing statement as well as the last words in this argument she paraded out of the bar, content with her victory over Alexander. It was now 1-nothing in favor of Reggie, since their fight had obviously ended in a draw.

Alexander stayed in spot for a few seconds, trying to figure out some way to talk her out of it. Jack was in the corner laughing, when Jack got out of his laughing fit he looked at Alexander and said, "look, brother, you lost. Just accept. Not only is Reggie as bull-headed as any good Marine out there, but also she is a woman...and you don't win arguments with a woman."

Alexander slowly nodded as he accepted Jack's piece of valuable wisdom. It was a good piece of advice...he'd have to remember it 'cause apparently it was true.

The two of them had met outside of the Marine Base, but they remained hidden. Alexander had changed clothing, getting rid of his black uniform and replacing it with Reggie's hoodie and a pair of Jack's jeans. Alexander not only had the hood pulled up, but Reggie's Marine cap. The shadows they cast further hid his face from plain sight.

Their plan? They didn't quite have one yet. There wasn't really a training session that said 'if a pirate steals your identity and frames you, you should do the following'. So, Alexander was out of ideas and Reggie didn't have a very good idea either. She just stood there subconsciously chewing on her tongue like it was a stick of gum.

The first thought was the obvious one for Reggie to walk in and try to look up the necessary files, but somehow they doubted that the higher-ups would let a simply chef like Reggie do something so important and Alexander had no chance of getting in. The next thought would be to walk in with Alexander as he is and hope nobody checks his idea or looks at his face, but the risk was incredibly high. The last plan of action that Alexander had thought of was crossing their fingers and praying for a miracle...and praying didn't usually make for a good battle plan.

They stayed outside for a longer stretch. Finally Reggie decided. She clamped her hands down onto her lap and stood up. "I'm going to go inside and talk to Specter and Rina...and try to get Dante to hold off on dragging information out of them." Alexander looked up at her, with a look of surprise. He certainly hadn't expected Dante to take his side in this case and protect them...but he also didn't expect him to torture them. He guessed in the end, he expected Dante to sit on his hands and do nothing at all.

He watched Reggie disappear into the Marine Base. He paused for a second and considered how wise it was for a wanted man to stand in front of a Marine Base. He supposed it made as much sense as a weapon becoming a real-life human. Both were an astounding zero sense, but since Alexander had no desire to move and no place to move to he sat down and rested against a nearby building in the shade. If anybody asked, he was lazy and didn't want to do any work.

Alexander stirred from his spot as he heard an incessant barking. He opened one eye, but kept the other one closed as it seemed to be a little bit too much work to open both. He saw Hayate jumping around and barking at two men who weren't in Marine uniforms, but were approaching the Marine Base anyways. He sat up and commanded his other eye to open. Rina had said that she was going to command Hayate to follow the people who had set them up. Hayate would track down a certain smell that Rina planted on them and basically become a signal to Alexander on who to beat up. He stood up and took a step forward, but hesitated as they disappeared into the Marine Base leaving Hayate outside by himself.

Alexander whistled to him. Hayate turned his head and immediately recognized him, he rushed over Alexander with more of his incessant barking. Of course, Hayate's and Alexander's relationship still wasn't the best. Once Hayate had cleared enough ground he took a running leap and headbutted Alexander down to the ground. Alexander laid on the ground trying to grasp the situation when Hayate sat down on top of him and began barking at him again. Alexander narrowed his eyes, pushed Hayate off of him and sat up.

Hayate's blatant disregard for the fact that not only was Alexander a higher Marine rank then Hayate didn't even upset him. Alexander simply smiled and kept his eyes on the gate waiting for the people who had forced him into this position to walk back out. While he was waiting, he might as well pray as that was the only battle plan he had left.

(-with Reggie-)

Reggie was on edge to say the least. She was biting her tongue more then usual these past few days, ever since Alexander had got here and now she felt like a traitor of her own Marine Base. She basically jumped at the sight of any Marine coming from the pit of the Marine Base. She felt like all of them knew that she was siding with a possible criminal in an attempt to break his possible criminal friends out of jail. Of course, she had to reason with herself that that wasn't true. Alexander wasn't a criminal and his friends, weren't either. However...she still jumped out of her skin when another Marine passed her by.

She was breathing heavily in an attempt to calm herself down. She knew that the Marines were righteous and would correct this act sooner or later, but the question was would they correct it before or after Dante had set into Rina and Specter. Would they still have all of their skin when this was said or done? Was it possible that Rina would literally lose her head due to Dante's obsessive torturing techniques. Those thoughts had no place in Reggie's head and she tried to shake them loose, but it didn't work.

Her heart had nearly jumped out of her chest when she saw Dante and his only remaining body guard strapping Rina into his own personal torture chair. Reggie came barreling and shouting at them to stop. Dante's bodyguard stopped cold, but Dante continued with his gruesome activity even whistling while he did so. It wasn't until Reggie had grabbed his hand and practically wrenched his hand away from Rina when he stopped and looked at her. He looked confused like a little kid who had been denied a piece of candy that was just laying out in the open. It took Reggie a couple of seconds to confirm that that just made her hate him more.

"I said stop!" she shouted in a very commanding voice. Dante looked over at Reggie and then back at Rina, trying to figure out what had happened that made it so perilous that his job _and _hobby had to be stopped. "We are not to lay a hand on these until we finished up collecting evidence!"

"Evidence?" asked Dante becoming even more confused. "We have evidence. We have their weapons, possessions, and other items on a pirate ship, we have two witnesses testifying to the fact that they killed a Marine officer, and we have them attacking us up at your brother's diner. That's three cases of evidence for you. Its enough for me to start working." He turned back around and began whistling once more.

Reggie slapped him lightly. For a brief moment she had the best feeling in the world. It felt great to slap him even lightly, it made her want to slap him again except harder. His bodyguard grunted something that snapped her out of her dream world, "I said we have to hold off, okay? This is a very delicate case and even the slightest slip of the hand could have us in deep shit."

Dante muttered something. He waved his hand and ordered the bodyguard to unhook Rina and take back to her cell. The bodyguard nodded. Before he could undo the last hook and free Rina, Dante brought his scalpel down and into Rina's wrist drawing blood and making Rina grimace in pain. Reggie glared at him, Dante shrugged and replied with a painfully sweet tone, "sorry, it was the slightest slip of the hand."

* * *

><p>So guys, is Dante, like, the best character ever? I mean, he is so nice and caring and he would never do anything to hurt another living thing. Okay, okay, I admit it...he's a little weirdo, a psychopath, and probably just a touch of sadist. I'm willing to say that he is the most screwed up character I have ever written! But other then him another good chapter, that showed Alexander's and Reggie's terrible battle plan of praying in action!<p> 


	52. Chapter 52 Good News and More Lies

**Good News and More Lies**

Rina sat in her cell watching Pura Pupuran get directed out once more. Pura sent back one more hateful glance at Rina before finally being escorted out. Rina sat there dabbing her blood up with a napkin that Reggie had given her. Rina was all alone in the cell, with Pura Pupuran being escorted out to restart her torture and Reggie was still out verbally assaulting Dante, who had a very nonchalant disinterest in her. Rina was surprised that a Marine would jump at the opportunity like that to protect a possible criminal/murderer. She was resting in her cell trying to make sense of it, when the door to the prison slammed open. Rina jumped and Specter let loose some weird inhuman saying like 'ooyah' and a soft thud as he probably fell out of his bed.

Reggie walked in. If it was possible for a human to be visible fuming she was. It was possible that she had just spent too much time in the kitchen, but Rina could swear she saw smoke coming off of her body as she pulled a chair over and sat outside of her cell. Reggie sighed as she tried to think of a calm thing to say, but whenever she opened her mouth she made another inhuman sound that could be mistaken for any animal sound. She finally sighed and leaned back breathing heavily. Rina stared at her for a couple of seconds unaware of how the 'wrongfully convicted' was supposed to act. Offer her shoulder to cry on? An ear to listen to her? Maybe give her one of her chakrams for her to go beat Dante up with? For some reason as a 'convicted felon' none of them seemed like a good choice of action.

Finally, Reggie calmed down and stood up. She walked over to the cameras that was stationed in the prisoner's cell. She waved at them. She moved her hand over her neck, mimicking the ever-popular threat of killing someone, but in this case it meant to turn off the recording Den-Den Mushi. Reggie stood there for a few more second watching the Den-Den Mushi until its eye closed tight. Reggie sighed as she walked back over to the chair and plopped down. "I'm going to kill DANTE!" with a heavy breath she exhaled all of her remaining breath.

Rina blinked for a couple of seconds. She was slowly becoming more and more confused at Reggie's action of both saving her and admitting to the fact that she wanted to kill the man in charge of this Marine Base. Her mind wandered over to the Den-Den Mushi on the wall, whose eyes were shut tight. Why did she turn it off? Did she come here to ask Rina for help, since she apparently had killed another Marine...since she apparently killed herself. She looked up at Reggie who was staring at her, studying her expecting her to make some sort of grand gesture. "You w-want to b-borrow my chakram?" offered Rina finally opting for the third option.

Reggie paused for a second, surprised at the offer. Her mind then drifted to the thought of accepting said offer and taking her anger out on Dante. She closed her eyes as she drifted off to that land which all employees sometimes go to, the one where there bosses suddenly disappeared due to an 'unfortunate accident'. Reggie opened her eyes as she realized that this was neither the time nor the place to be thinking about such things. "I'm here because of Alexander."

Rina perked up and turned her head away from Reggie, "I'm not telling you where he is!" she said defiantly. Despite all of Alexander's shortcomings, Rina was sure Alexander would never sell out his companions...on purpose. She could imagine Alexander accidentally blurting out her hiding spot due to a complete accident, but anything short of that and she felt confident that Alexander would keep her safe.

"I know," pointed out Reggie. She nodded to the Den-Den Mushi, "as a basic rule of the Marine Base the Den-Den Mushi's in the jail are only turned off for five minutes at a time. So, I'm going to try to make this quick. I found Alexander, but don't worry. I'm..." Reggie made another quick glance at the Den-Den Mushi making sure it was turned off, "I'm working with him. We are trying to figure out a way to clean your guys' names. Since neither one of us has the clearance to get into the records. However, I feel like I'm trying to conspire with a rock, so I want you guys' to help me out. That includes you, Carambole!" shouted Reggie as she pounded on the wall. Once more Specter thudded to the ground.

"Damn broad is going to be the death," muttered Specter as he joined in on the conversation. He moved up to the bars and pressed himself up against it looking out and into the hallway. "So, do we have a plan here or are we just supposed to wing it? I vote for winging it. Just get me my gun and I'd be more than happy to blow stuff up until people listen to us."

"I vote against letting Specter have any say in the process," offered Rina. Reggie nodded in agreement. Even though, nobody could see him Specter shrugged and walked back to his bed and laid down. If they were going to break out, he needed his beauty rest. "We have Hayate trailing the suspects," mentioned Rina. Reggie gave her an odd glance. Reggie had never met Hayate and she never heard of a Marine called Hayate coming to their Marine Base. "Hayate is my dog."

There was a quiet beep as the Den-Den Mushi opened its eyes again. Reggie turned back to it and realized her time with the two of them had come to a close. So far, the only merit this visit had was that know Rina knew that Reggie was on their side, Reggie knew that they had a dog assisting them, and both of them knew that they this was truly a hopeless effort. Reggie stood up and sighed.

Most girls had a desire to become an actress when they were younger, Reggie simply wanted to be a Marine like her father. And now she found herself putting on an act for the Marines as she verbally berated Rina and put on a very good show for whoever was watching from the guard room. She imagined they were wide-eyed with her very unfeminine use of the English language. With one finally disgusting word she turned around, putting her back to the camera. She gave Rina a wink like they do in horrible books and in young child's fantasies when they plan something and she left.

Reggie tried to think of something as she walked through the Marine Base. Her eyes up on the ceiling, paying no attention to whatever was in front of her. It wouldn't have done her any good with the darkened halls and the torches on the walls throwing plenty of shadows to throw her off. After all, a dark hallway looked exactly dark wall. No matter how many minutes she put into her thought process she couldn't come up with any good ways out of this. Alexander was still waiting outside for her, probably having some sort of mental breakdown from thinking so hard and Rina and Specter were trapped in their cells, placing bets on which would arrive first, a stroke of inspiration for their escape or Dante, happily swinging his scalpel.

Reggie soon found her two feet planted in front of the kitchen. She was just standing out there. Her feet had brought her here automatically. So many years wandering through this god forsaken place and this was the place she always came back to. The kitchen. If her hands were on autopilot as well, she supposed she probably would've opened the door wandered in and started making spaghetti for Dante's dinner. Dinner sounded pretty good actually.

Reggie's hand twisted the doorknob and she walked in. She had had a good case of exercise hunting down and trying to kill Alexander, the fear from the fall probably aided in the development of her appetite. She had forgotten all about it in the thrill and excitement of being a real Marine officer for the day. Her hands were still clammy with sweat as she recalled the moments of her day. As soon as she had left this kitchen, she was out of the frying pan and into the fire. She breathed out as she tried to calm herself down. A good dinner was probably exactly what she needed, plus she could take the leftovers out to Alexander who was probably growing hungrier by the second.

She wandered over to the stove and turned it on. She had to admit that one of the greatest things in the past century was when the Blue Seas finally established trade with Skypiea and both of them flourished from such a partnership. One of the great inventions that the Blue Sea had obtained from Skypiea was a Heat Dial, which supplied a near endless amount of heat in an invention and allowed for quicker fire rather then her having to build up a fire with sticks and logs. In seconds the stove was warm enough for her to move a pot over to it, pour water into it, and begin preparing dinner.

Reggie had shifted over effortlessly into a more relaxed state of being. She had previously been in such a nervous and anxious mood. Her hands had been shaking and she had been chewing her tongue and now...now it was all gone. It just took a couple of simple deep breaths and a task she had done numerous times before and she was back to a tranquil state of being. The kitchen was empty as it was a little early for dinner to be being prepared, but every so often a guard would wander in, say 'hello, Reggie', grab an apple or other common snack and be out of her kitchen in no time.

Reggie slowly drifted back off into her melancholy monotony. The only thing that became capable of snapping out of such a happy state was the sound of the water starting to reach the top of the pot, luckily she had remembered the wooden spoon on the top of the pot, which prevented it from overflowing. In the next few seconds Reggie had brought over a bundle of pre-made noodles and dropped them in. She went off and started on the sauce.

"Come on, a quick bite to eat won't hurt ya," said a familiar voice. Reggie grimace and grabbed her frying pan picking it up and holding it in front of her face to block the view of the man who entered the room. Satoshi sauntered into the room as if he owned the entire Marine Base followed by him was the stoic Seth. "Oh, hey, uh...girl," greeted Satoshi, forgetting Reggie's name. He looked at her for a second and who wouldn't. She was standing there holding the frying pan in front of her face as if...why Satoshi had no idea what had compelled her to strike up such an unreasonable pose.

"Hey, hey...Alexander." Reggie stumbled over the words. It was like a sharp knife had been driven into her vocal cords as she had to use that name to greet such a monstrous liar. Reggie lowered her frying pan back down and let out a brief sigh, "any luck on catching the criminal?" asked Reggie.

Something was wrong. Something beeped across Satoshi's carefully constructed lie detector. He had no idea what it was cause as far as lying goes he was the most convincing person in the world. He could even fool himself! That was his gift, the gift of the Uso-Uso no mi.* He could lie his way out of anything. It gave him the ultimate power of persuasion and on top of that a small minor side-effect was his very own built in lie detector, which as previously mentioned had gone off for some reason. "Yeah, the criminal..." the words slivered out of Satoshi's mouth, "yeah...the fake 'Alexander'. Yeah, no I haven't found him...yet! But I'm fairly certain I will soon. You?"

"Uh, no," said Reggie as she let out a breath, she didn't even knew she was holding in. He was apparently not interested in her. "I've only been out like once or twice, you know, helping my brother patch the store and I haven't seen him."

There was a sudden siren in Satoshi's head. Something was very, very wrong. Satoshi swiveled his head to face Reggie. His eyes dodged from part to part of her. Her forehead where a light glisten of sweat could be seen. Her knuckles, which were turned white from how hard she had been clutching her frying pan. Her feet, nervously tapping out a rhythm. Satoshi was positive, she was lying. His eyes went wide with a momentary glance at someone who knew the truth. Reggie had someone figured out his lie...had she met with Alexander and believed him? It wasn't possible! His lies should've convinced her very core, no amount of talking should've been able to break the spell.

Satoshi looked around. Seth was still unaware of the situation like the lumox he was had taken to an apple and had just taken a bite out of it. Satoshi's eyes fell onto a nice blade that laid out on the table. He picked it up and felt the cold metal in his hand, it would make a nice piece of evidence to add to Alexander's downfall...the DEATH of another Marine!

* * *

><p>Uso-Uso no mi=lie-lie fruit<p>

The news has been carried out and to Rina and Specter, who could seem a little bit more thrilled, but, hey, who has the time when you have impending torture hanging over your head. Not to mention that now Reggie is in hot water! God...I think I like puns a little bit too much sometimes!

I am also returning to school, which means I'm going to have less time to devote to writing, which means my stories are gonna slow down. Probably back down to once every two weeks...yeah, sorry, but school comes first! At least until I start making money off of my writing!


	53. Chapter 53 Lies on top of Lies

**Lies On Top of Lies!**

**Finally Found!  
><strong>

Satoshi's mad dash had knocked Reggie's frying pan free from her grip and she heard the horror as it slid against the ground and away from her. Satoshi charged forward, regardless of the fact that Reggie was both unarmed and a woman. He brought the sharp kitchen knife forward and toward's Reggie's throat. It was pure luck that she managed to squeeze her arm forward and block the knife arm before it got any closer. Reggie brought her other arm around and at Satoshi's head, but Satoshi brought his other arm up and blocked it.

The two of them stayed their for a second each one of them trying to defeat the other one and creep their arms closer and closer till they could get a good swing at them. It was easy for Reggie to say that she was stronger, she was a Marine. This kind of stuff was day-to-day business even in the kitchen, but Satoshi had his entire weight bearing down on top of her. She took a deep breath as she tried to push him off, but she couldn't. She looked around trying to find something she could use since her frying pan had skitted out of reach. She found nothing, she banged her head backwards as she tried to think. Her eyes went straight up to the ceiling. Finally, she found something worth her interest.

Reggie banged her head back again, this time slamming it into the oven that stood behind her. Satoshi laughed, "what's the matter girl? Got an itch? I'll scratch it for you if I could just get my knife closer!" Satoshi leaned in even closer as he tried to push the blade forward and into her neck. Reggie grunted as she banged her head backwards once more. The oven rattled, but neither Reggie nor Satoshi could hear it over their frantic breathing and Satoshi's brief insults.

Seth stood back, just watching. He could move forward, snatch the knife from Satoshi and stab Reggie himself...or stab Satoshi. Both of them seemed to be becoming more and more appealing, but he decided that in the end whoever won in this fruitless fight deserved to walk away. No...if Reggie walked away he would move forward and take her down. Either way she was going down, the question was would Satoshi.

Reggie leaned back once more and with a thunderous bang. Her head hit the oven, giving her a massive headache, but regardless of the pain she smiled. Other then the now throbbing pain in her head, something else had happened. The pot of boiling water that was on the stove that she was using to prepare dinner, came clattering down and spilling its contents. Luckily for Reggie she had a human umbrella that was bent over her and trying to stick a knife into her.

Unluckily for the human umbrella the full pot of water came splashing onto his back and head. A few drops got past his back and sizzled onto the floor and a couple landed on Reggie, but it was worth it in her mind, both the headache and burning water was worth it to see the look on Satoshi's face. He roared back as the water continued to burn into his skin. He was shaking frantically trying to the water to splash off of him, but no matter how hard he shook the water stayed glued to his almost crispy back.

Reggie got up and took a slight moment to revel in her happiness, ignoring her own pain and taking delight in Satoshi's. The bastard deserved it! He truly did for what he did to Rina and Alexander. After her short moment of watching Satoshi thrash around in pain, Reggie drove forwards and grabbed her frying pan, once again she was ready to take him down for good. She turned around to face Satoshi and deliver the finishing blow to his seared face, but as she pivoted about she saw a fist flying at her. She had no time to react as Seth stepped forward and delivered a quick punch to her face.

Reggie's head screeched back. She stumbled back as the pain ran through her body and the injuries from her earlier fall came back into her. She looked around and frantically grabbed onto the nearby counter trying to hold herself up, but alas her strength had been replaced with momentary weakness. Her head was throbbing from banging it against the wall, the few water drops that had landed on her seared her skin, her legs had turned to jelly, and that was it. Her body collapsed onto the ground as her hand fell open and released the counter top.

Seth looked down at her as her eyes fluttered close. He looked back over at Satoshi who was still stomping and screaming in pain. He had a very colorful choice of language, most of which was directed at Reggie. Seth had thought that he was going to take them both down, but the loud noise of the pot clattering to the ground and now Satoshi's panicked screams had apparently began to attract attention. He could already feel the ground shudder beneath his feet as a group of Marines came charging through the halls.

When it came to lying Seth was neither a big fan of it nor good at it. While he believed he could charge through a Marine Base and take them all down, he was in no mood to try and prove it. He needed Satoshi to once more weave a very colorful web of lies and get them out of this troubling situation. He looked back over at Satoshi who was now biting into his own hand trying to muffle his screams and dull the pain.

"I'm fine!" screeched Satoshi as he straightened up and removed his hand from his mouth. He shook it for a second. He had bit it so hard he had drawn blood. He shook it, flinging the blood around the room. He reached over and picked up a towel and wiped his hand clean. "That little bitch!" screamed Satoshi as he stepped forward and launched a quick kick into Reggie's side. He kept kicking her, ignoring the fact that she was unconscious from Seth's punch, but he didn't care. "How do you like that, huh, huh...HUH!" Satoshi delivered a final kick into Reggie's gut.

"Hey," said Seth finally speaking up, "didn't you say you were a pacifist?" Satoshi swiveled his head at him. His mouth was set into frown, dumb Seth asking him a question like this.

"Even Buddha has a breaking point," said Satoshi with a shrug. He looked over at the door as he finally heard the Marines' loud foot stomps nearing the door. Satoshi looked up at the ceiling as he tried to think about his next lie. However, as soon as he let his mind wander the searing pain in his body came surging back. "Argh!" groaned Satoshi as he went over to the sink. He started to fill pots up with cold water and pour them onto his back to give him temporary relief.

"What the heck are you guys doing in my kitchen," said an old man as he walked in on the scene. Satoshi froze for a second as he watched, not only a chef, but also three or four Marine soldiers walk into the room. The chef looked around the kitchen, when his eyes finally landed on it they stayed on it, Reggie laying on the ground. "What the heck did you guys do in my kitchen!" The man shouted raising his voice and grabbing the nearest weapon, in this case a ladle, and charging forward at Satoshi. Two of the Marines leapt forward and grabbed him, holding him back.

"I'm sure he has a good reason! He is a Marine Captain after all," said one of the Marines as he looked over at Satoshi and back down at the fallen Reggie. "And he better have a damn good reason at that." The Marine scowled and turned his full attention over to Satoshi.

Satoshi frowned, "of course, I have a good reason! I was out today busily hunting down the trail of the man who impersonated me and killed my crew when I first noticed it. Reggie was acting highly suspicious she had left her brother's bar and I saw her down on the first floor talking to someone else." Satoshi's mind flipped back to earlier that day when he saw Reggie and another Marine on the ground, he had presumed they were taking a nap, but he quickly pieced together that it was Reggie and Alexander. They must've met and that was when she had figured out he was lying, but it didn't matter when somebody catches you for lying, you make a bigger more intricate web.

"I was surprised at first to see such a friendly face that I almost ran up and greeted, but I was lucky I didn't for I saw the man she was talking to! It was the scum I was hunting down!" Satoshi proclaimed proudly. "She was having a conversation with the fake 'Alexander'! I immediately rushed up here to garner some back-up, but apparently she had noticed me and gave chase. I got here and, being in a foreign base, got lost and wound up here. Once here that witch poured searing water all over me!" Satoshi turned his back to the Marines and they all flinched at the sight of the burnt back. "It pains me to admit it, but due to Alexander's early ambush and now this wound I was powerless and I was nearly defeated, but Se...err, Specter saved me!"

"It makes sense," said one of the Marines agreeing with Satoshi, the powers of Satoshi's Uso-Uso no mi persuading him easily. "You know what they say 'when it rains, it pours'. There are just as many bad Marines as they are bad pirates nowadays...its a sad fact."

"But...but," stuttered the chef as he tried to protect Reggie, "maybe she was being coerced, forced to do these things against her will! She is a good girl! She would never do anything like this...I bet it was Alexander's fault! He probably held a gun to her head and her brother's head, right? Things like that happen, right? Reggie's innocent..."

"Yeah...yeah..." shouted the first Marine agreeing with the chef. "That makes perfect sense! 'One bad apples ruins the bunch'! Alexander probably made Reggie do that against her will! He is the real culprit! He's the one who should be punished!" The rest of the Marines howled in agreement. He turned around to the chef, "sorry, but Reggie will still have to be detained for the time being due to the assault, but we may be able to overturn it if we can bring Alexander in."

"Then what are you waiting around for!" shouted the chef as he whipped him aside the head with the ladle. "Aren't you Marines? Isn't this your job to go arrest the criminal? I'll watch over Reggie, while you bring that scoundrel in! That's what your jobs are!" The Marine nodded and then with another hoop-and-holler they charged out of the kitchen. The chef turned his head around to Satoshi and Seth. "You two...get out of my kitchen!" Satoshi grimaced at the man's harsh words, but he decided he had pushed his luck far enough with his lies and stepped out of the kitchen. Seth followed right behind him, grunting at the chef as she passed by.

"It looks like we took a small hit," said Satoshi with a sigh, "we can't keep pointing our fingers at people. We need to catch Alexander fast or else we just might be found out. Our only saving grace right now is my Devil Fruit...if it wasn't for that we'd have been caught by now."

Seth shrugged. He didn't much care for all this sneaking around. It may make the jobs easier rather then fighting an entire Marine Base most of the time, Seth still preferred just running up to someone and landing a good hit on him. However, he really didn't have that option now. Seth looked around just in time to see the dog that had been following them running right past them.

"HEY! Hayate! You just gonna run away and leave me to fight all of these guys by myself!" shouted Alexander as he gave chase to Hayate. Right after him a large group of Marines followed.

"Well, well, well...it looks like once more our luck holds strong," said Satoshi. He looked over at Seth, who had a face of anticipation. "Don't worry, Seth, my boy! If he is strong enough to fight you on equal level then those Marines definitely wouldn't be a challenge. Besides, even if we don't kill him ourselves we still get paid, so let them do the dirty work of killing a Marine officer! Once more we won't even have to lift a finger! Mwa ha ha ha ha!"

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><p>I wasn't going to post at all this weekend, what with moving, mowing, roofing, and yet even more moving...but next week may just be worse...<p>

Okay, this arc has gone on long enough! From here on out, I'll be working hard on bringing it to the end! Reggie, Specter, and Rina are all in jail and it appears that Alexander may just follow them soon. He's finally been found out! But really he wasn't really hiding all that well...he was just sitting out close to the Marine Base waiting for Reggie.


	54. Chapter 54 Taka's Infiltration

**Taka's Infiltration...**

White slid into the darkness. He didn't particularly like dark spaces due to his bright white suit, he couldn't fully disappear, but then again he was still quite a respected and honored assassin despite that small shortcoming. Disappearing into the darkness was something that Adam could do well, since he was dressed in black priest robes. They just needed to move quietly through the darkness and make sure they didn't attract any unwanted attention. The holding cells were just up ahead.

While White may stand out in the darkness, there were more then one way to avoid being seen, surely blending into the background was the number one method, however avoiding people was another trick and one where White excelled. They had come upon a door and by pressing his ear upon it he quickly heard soft mutterings of two or three people. The next room was occupied. It would be simple for them as both White and Adam could easily take out all of the people in the next room, but alas they were assassins sticking to darkness was their jobs.

Luckily White had other talents that branched out from assassination. Rather then just going up and whacking somebody with a pipe, White had more...disastrous skills. Skills that made him invaluable to Taka. His most recent work was on the island of Boyd and Ghorl. He had built the bomb that they were supposed to use to blow the castle sky-high. Of course, the mission was less then success with Emyre's death and Pura Pupuran's capture, but that's why he was here. To make sure that failure of a mission was cleaned up properly. There was the added incentive of the fact that if Pura Pupuran thought about it, she could easily sell him out and say the bomb was his fault. Something he was desperate to avoid.

Anyways, bombs were definitely his specialty and he already had one perfectly placed. It was a small and fashionable pure black disc. Place it in the shadows that this Marine Base so generously provided and it was near invisible. White pulled out a simple triggering device and pushed the small button. Up in the higher reaches of the Marine Base, his small hidden bomb blew up. It burst into flames and a weird purple smoke filled the air.

In order to completely avoid detection it is imperative that you avoid people and the annoying Den-Den Mushi. The pink smoke allowed the second to be rendered useless. Any Den-Den Mushi that smelled the stuff would be immediately dazed and unable to perform any kind of operations. That also meant wiretapping and their small portable Den-Den Mushi phones were useless for awhile, but that was the cost of a good assassination.

Just like White had planned there was a brief siren alerting the Marines to the ever-growing fire and the Marines in the room rushed out to get to a safer place and help put out the fire. However, the squirming and screaming woman who was left sitting all tied up in the torture chair was abandoned. White motioned forward and he and Adam moved towards her.

"White! Adam!" cried Pura Pupuran as she squirmed against her bonds. "Thank god you are present! Please help me out of this painful chair! That person, Dante, is a psychopath! But once you free me, I'll be able to get right back to my job and away from him!"

White shook his head and looked around the room. He took careful notice of the Den-Den Mushi in the corner and made a quick note that its eyes were closed and it was inactive. The room had been cleared completely, but he knew the limits of his own bombs and they only had four to six minutes remaining until the fire died out and the Marines returned, but they only had three minutes until the Marine Base was ventilated enough and the smoke died out and with it the Den-Den Mushi's were reactivated.

Adam moved forward and pressed his left hand against Pura's mouth silencing her. He lifted one finger of his right hand up to his mouth and told her to stay quiet. "Almighty God please forgive this sinner, she served you and she failed you. Her life was following your orders and it is with great sorrow in my heart that I must ask you for your strength. I plead with you to place your right hand behind mine as I execute divine punishment..." Adam hand's flexed, squeezing Pura's head. He clenched his right hand and then unclenched it. He brought his open palm straight into Pura's chest, striking at the heart even through the layers of skin, muscles, and fat. Pura's eyes went wide for awhile. Adam stayed standing there for a few more seconds with his left hand still clenched over Pura's mouth. Finally, he removed his hand and quietly whispered, "Amen."

"Geez, you are giving me the creeps!" muttered White. He knew very well of Adam's powers and his religious beliefs, but he never quite got used to it. Since he held his hand over Pura's mouth it cut off oxygen to the heart and then when he pounded into it with his hand he forced the air out of it and in some rare cases he can even completely stop it from beating. With these two facts combined he can permanently shut off the heart and make it appear like a heart attack had killed his target. He was an expert of silently killing his targets and leaving behind no trace and in the case that there was some random evidence left behind, they always had White's bombs.

The two of them backed up and nodded at each other, content with their work. White smiled as he quickly took out another small bomb and activated it once more. The room filled up with the purple smoke, further putting the Den-Den Mushi's out of action allowing them to gracefully disappear into the shadows. They were about to head out when they heard a loud voice shout, "is someone there?"

They were both incredibly confident about not being seen yet, but if they could hear somebody talk maybe somebody could hear them talk...or even worse, see them. White did a quick survey of the room to make sure he didn't accidentally miss someone crouching in the shadows. When he was confident he hadn't missed someone he moved back to the door. He pulled on the door and a loud screech could be heard as it rubbed against the bottom of the floor. White flinched. Once more the voice shouted, "whose there?"

"Crap..." muttered White as he looked at Adam. There was now enough reasonable doubt to Pura Pupuran's 'natural demise' that it might invoke an even deeper investigation into the Taka organization. He looked over at White. White nodded as he put his gloves back on. "Leave no possible witnesses. I'll meet you outside," said White as he disappeared.

"It looks like more people are sinning and asking to be sent into god's grace," said Adam as he walked forward towards the voice. He walked into the prison cells and looked at them all. He looked at each and ever individual person locked behind the cells.

"Who are you?" asked Reggie. She had been stationed at this Marine Base for a long time now and she lived on this island all her life, but this man was a complete stranger to her. The fact that he was in the Marine Base was questionable. Even if he was dressed like a priest.

"Prisoners...the marine's version of sinners. It may hurt my soul to do away with three more people, but alas I am a mere vessel for God's justice. And I shall obey the ultimate commandment He has set out for me...anyone who stands in His way must be eliminated...once more I ask for His strength as I execute these foolish beings." Adam brought his hand back and prepared to fire a punch.

Reggie scoffed at the idea. This was a Marine holding cell. They wouldn't make it so flimsy that a punch could break it. The man was a raving lunatic if he thought he could do it. She paused for a second as she looked at his arm, it seemed weird to her. It looked not only longer, but also it had a bend in it where there shouldn't be one. Her mind snapped to attention as she noticed he was a Longarm. "EVERYBODY DOWN!" Reggie shouted. Rina and her through themselves to the floor as Adam's fist broke through the lock and shattered it.

"Looks like you understand the power I have obtained from God himself," said Adam as he leaned backwards and looked at Reggie and Rina, who were pinned against the ground. "A longer arm not only means a longer reach, but it can also result in more devastating attacks due to the longer build-up we can put behind them."

"Are you like some Fishmen?" asked Reggie as she stood up and looked down at Rina. They were both without their signature weapons, fighting an unarmed specialist. Best case scenario would be if the Marine came back down and saved them, but something told her that was a slim scenario. "You think being a Longarm makes you the better species?"

"All species are the same in God's eye," preached Adam. "God is the essence of perfection. Why would He waste his time creating inferior species? Some people would say there needs to be an inferior species for their to be a superior species. I say perfection only exists in God, no species can be perfect...so, he created us all equal with some strengths and some weaknesses. My race does not make me superior to you. No, I'm superior to you because I walk in God's shadow..."

Reggie looked back at Rina, who was just now standing up. For the time being it was just those two, since Specter was still locked up in his own separate cell. If Reggie could break it open, then maybe it wouldn't matter that all of their weapons were gone. After all, it would be three against one. Even experienced fighters have trouble with two against one, so having a third fighter on their side would just boost their chances. Reggie glanced at Rina and it was painfully obvious the same thought crossed her mind...they needed all the help they could get.

Reggie figured that they probably didn't have the strength to break the lock like Adam, so that left the keys. Luckily, the lazy prison guard had left the keys out on the desk in plain view. If you ignore the large man blocking their view, it would be a simple act to run out, grab the keys, and free Specter. However, the man probably wouldn't let them past. His long arms gave him dominance of the area, even worse was the fact that they were still in the cell. They would have to get out of the cell through the tiny opening of the doorway and then past Adam.

There was no point in waiting for some miracle to happen. Reggie ran off forwards toward Adam. Adam struck by straightening his arm forward, both of his elbows snapped forward making his fist go faster and become even stronger then a normal human's punch. Reggie brought her arms up in front of her body to block the punch, but that didn't help her out at all. Adam's punching strength was far past superhuman. It slammed into her guard and pushed her back into the cell once more.

"He's definitely got some monstrous strength," said Reggie as she let out her breath. She had unconscious took a deep breath when she was hit. It helped to tense up her body and reduce the damage, but it still hurt her arms. They was a sharp stinging in her arms. She paused as she looked up at him. He was standing calmly in the doorway. She tried to decide whether or not this was good for them. It was buying them time, which could save them in the long run, but it was well-known that in most martial arts the defender has the advantage. So, as long as he didn't rush in and simply defended there was no way they would break free.

Reggie's eyes went up to the Den-Den Mushi placed in the corner of the room to keep an eye on the prisoners, it was off. Her eyes blinked for a few seconds as she tried to put it together, her head went back over to the Longarm. "Who are you?" she asked. She didn't know of anything that could take out a Den-Den Mushi without straight out killing the poor thing. Did that mean he had a Marine officer turn it off for him?

"I am God's right hand," replied Adam.

* * *

><p>First thing's first, I am not religious in any way, shape, or form, so if I happened to offend anyone due to Adam's rather...eccentric views on religion, I apologize.<p>

I've recently found out I am rather fond of Longarms. I think Oda does not give them the spotlight they deserve. Their extra reach could make them a deadly foe, which I will be demonstrating for the next couple of chapters. Don't worry, you'll see Alexander again real soon.


	55. Chapter 55 Getting Past Adam

**Breaking the Priest!**

**Strategy to Get Through!**

Rina and Reggie backed up further into the cell trying to figure out the best way to break past Adam's guard. A forward attack would probably be brushed off and repelled due to his heavy attacks. They stepped back and braced themselves. They looked at each and nodded, a simultaneous charge would be their best bet. One would go left and the other right, even if Adam was a skilled fighter he couldn't possibly block them both effectively. They both moved forward at the same exact time.

Despite both of them starting at the same time there was a clear difference between the two, Rina was faster. Rina had been on the battlefield before and had trained with real-life combat as a catalyst. Her speed left Reggie in her dust. Rina immediately dodged to the left. Most people on the planet were right-handed, so that means their left side were usually weaker and Rina hoped to capitalize on the difference. She pushed off of the ground once more, temporarily moving faster, but Adam didn't mind the fact that she stacked the odds in her favor. He brought his arm sweeping through the air, side swiping his massive arm into the side of her head, knocking her down. Rina hit the ground and let out a brief yelp as he head hit one of the walls of the small cell.

Even though it pained her, Reggie ignored her and kept charging forward. Adam's hand was currently extended in one direction and away from her because he struck down Rina. In terms of usual weaknesses, the longer a weapon is and the more force you put behind it the more time it takes to fire a second shot. In other words this was her best bet to pass right by him! She sped forward and let out a brief grunt as she felt her feet leave the ground as a second shot from Adam's arm came shuddering through, lifting her straight up. It was a monstrous uppercut. Reggie's eyes widened as she was flung back into the cell.

"Shit, back to square one," said Reggie as she stood up, wiping the blood off of her lip. She looked over to her ally, who had a fresh new wound on her head. There wasn't any blood, but there was a big bump proving Adam's strength. The Den-Den Mushi was still out of commission, which meant the Marines didn't know what happened in the cells. It was possible that this would be seen as the prisoners trying to escape by blowing up the lock and even staging the Den-Den Mushi shutdown...and while being free and out of these cells seemed like a good thing, it would only make it look like they were trying to get out of trouble and bail. It wasn't a good way to look innocent.

There was another quiet boom out in the Marine Base. Reggie felt tempted to twist her head over in the direction, but she didn't. Her eyes had to remain completely focused on Adam, whatever the boom was there was another twenty or so Marines out there capable of handling it. Adam's ear perked up at the sound, but his eyes didn't leave Reggie. "Crap...White's signaling me. I got to speed this up I'm almost out of time." Adam twisted his two palms inwards to his own chest. His arms dropped down, but he kept his two hands just above his chest.

Reggie inched forward closer to the door, still debating their chances of getting past the Longarm. Apparently, though, Adam decided that was far enough as his left arm shot forward, twisting around in the air like a whip and smashing sideways into Reggie's abdomen pushing her back further into the cell.

Rina moved backwards and, based on his latest attacks, out of his range. She was having trouble telling the man's prowess. Longarms weren't very common in terms of sparring partners. Rina sparred with a Fishman a few times and even a Merman once, but most of her opponent's had been humans and she never came face-to-face with a Longarm. His reach was probably the most superior in terms of all races, no human arms ever grew that long. The longer reach allowed him to strike before they could even reach them. The longer reach allowed him to get a higher momentum before he struck as well.

The first thing Rina could relate him to was a normal human holding a blunt sword or a baseball bat. It would give a human the extra range and the same amount of control as Adam had. Her mind jumped back to the same idea as Reggie had, a longer reach meant a longer time between attacks, but that was obviously wrong.

All of the plans Rina could come to used her chakrams...she had become used to using them to fight and now without them, she felt helpless. If she only had her chakrams on her she could probably beat him. Her strategies revolved around using them to win. Chances are Specter and Reggie felt fairly similar. Alexander could probably beat him up in a fist fight.

How would Alexander beat him? He could probably tuck his body in and charge straight through, ignoring the pain from Adam's punches and then deliver one of his own. Rina made a few punching motions with her arm into the air as she thought about the possibility. She may be able to get in close enough to land a punch with Reggie's help, the question would be would it be worth it? Adam's punches were probably close to four times as strong as hers. She was faster though, she thought as she leaned on her legs. If she had the opening, she could punch him and possible stun him long enough to break free.

Finding the opening would be the most difficult thing to do. His entire body was hidden beneath his cloak. If she charged in haphazardly and fired a punch what could be waiting for her? He obviously wasn't a fair fighter, attacking two trapped girls. So, could he be wearing armor beneath it? She paused as she looked at his abdomen and tried to piece it together. Was there some unnatural bulk beneath it? If that was the case she'd have to back up and keep her distance, but she couldn't she needed to bring him down.

Rina looked over at Reggie and nodded. "D-distract him for me, will you?" asked Rina as she looked at him. A brief distraction to land one punch, was that really what she was counting on? Oh, well, she had to hope that Reggie could survive another punch from the monstrous attacker before them.

Reggie nodded. She backed up and slid around in the room trying to find the perfect place to move at him from. Reggie leaned in forward and charged. She had taken a straight and a hook so far and he hook was lighter, she moved in and charged a his left side. She could probably handle another left-handed punch, but she knew a right straight would be disastrous. As soon as she got into his punching range, she began to weave her head about to help avoid a full-on blow. The punch never came. She was almost right in front of him and he still hadn't fired a punch, she didn't care if she could get pass him without taking a hit she's lucky.

Finally it came. An uppercut that came straight from the floor. His hand dropped down, nearly touching the floor and then in the next second it bounced straight-up. The fist flew upwards and into the air with a massive arc. Reggie was still in the middle of a full-body rush, she couldn't just stop. The blow was going to hit her. She tightened her guard and clenched her jaw. Then, more out of a reflex than a plan, she fired her own punch. The two hits slammed home simultaneously, but there was a huge difference in power. Reggie was lifted off of her own feet and tossed into the air, Adam slid back, but for the most part he kept his footing.

Adam looked around and noticed that Rina was already closing in only a few feet away. Not only had he lost his footing due to Reggie's blow, but his uppercut definitely didn't help either. He was too off-balanced to fire a good punch from that angle. He grunted and brought his elbow downwards in an inexperienced and very pathetic attempt to end the match.

"Crap!" cursed Adam as he felt a sharp pain ring out in his side as Rina twisted her body around and fired a single punch into him. He was bigger and heavier then her this meant that ordinarily their punches wouldn't have as much of a oomph to them as his did, but Rina was experienced fighter so she knew how to accommodate for this disadvantage, having fought bigger guys before. The most important thing to know is where to land the punches and due to her smaller size she could easily get in past their guard and fire a punch at those spots. This punch landed into his unguarded liver.

Adam crumbled from the powerful blow temporarily losing his balance even further. He stepped to the side to take a quick break and recover from the consecutive blows. Rina didn't mind as she raced past him and out of the cell, she grabbed the keys and spun back around as quickly as possible. She immediately ran up to Specter's cell and fumbled a key out. She quickly inserted it into the door, but she was knocked back down as Adam recovered enough to do that.

"I asked God to bestow mercy on you and make your deaths quick and painless," offered Adam as if he hoped that that would make him killing them nicer and more humane. "If you continue to struggle I'll have to ignore my own prayers and finish you, breaking as many bones in your body as possible. If you just stand still I'll end it quickly!" Adam lifted his arm up and into the air preparing to strike down upon Rina with all of his weight and power behind it.

Reggie came charging up at him, slamming her entire body into him and forcing him down and away from Rina. Adam cringed at his own smug self-confidence, he had thought that after three of his punches anyone, especially a girl like that would be down for the count and he had foolishly turned his back to Reggie to focus on Rina. If that stupid mistake cost him the fight there's no way he'd be accepted into God's grace anymore. He stood back up bringing himself to a standing position and looked at the two girls with malicious intent.

Reggie and Rina were busily trying out keys to unlock Specter's cell. They didn't seem to be getting any luckier. The ring of keys had at least twenty on it, probably one to every closet in this whole Marine Base. They panicked as they tried out key after key to try to open the door. It didn't seem like much else was working as they tried. Reggie was grabbing her side, probably trying to keep a broken rib in place and doing not much else except shouting at Rina to hurry up. "Look out," yelled Specter.

Rina and Reggie didn't bother to look at what was coming, they both instinctively dodged to the ground just in time for Adam's long arms to come sweeping over their heads. Rina and Reggie then split up each one dodging to their own side as another uppercut swept across the ground and slicing through the air. There was a startled look on Reggie's face as she tried to figure out how the hell she survived that punch.

Adam took another step forward, placing himself perfectly in-between his two opponents, an odd stance when you are outnumbered. Ordinarily you'd want to be viewing both opponent's at once, but now he had to swivel his head from side-to-side to catch to them. However, neither Rina or Reggie seemed to be in the mood to correct him on his fighting stance. Rina charged at him, while Reggie reached over picked up a couple of nick-knacks that lied on the guard's table.

Reggie tossed the objects, which included simple things like staplers, files filled with papers, and the occasional lunch tray. She felt a little disappointed at some of the other ammunition she had to resort to using like a family photo still in its frame and an leftover apple that was still in perfectly good shape, but she needed all the help she could get. Each throw put more and more stress on her ribs and none of the objects she threw had any effect...Adam's long arm swiped through the air at each object...either one of his elbows caught and blew it aside or his hand swooped in and batted it away.

Finally, Rina had managed to close the distance and get in position for another punch. She borrowed the form from one of Adam's previous punches, an uppercut. From her position she could perfectly see his chin and if she could force enough power in to her fist, break it. She was in range and fired a fist upwards at it.

* * *

><p>Despite Adam being a man of religious conotation he really isn't taking it easy on two girls, is he? But then again the girls aren't exactly going easy on him! I'm gonna apologize in advance for the next couple of chapters as they get kind of disjuncted and a little bit random, but they are still up to my usual quality so don't worry.<p>

Also, I plan to change my profile pic later this week to a new piece of art done by me, so you can look forward to that as well!


	56. Chapter 56 Found Out

**Found Out!**

Alexander was sitting underneath the tree waiting for Reggie to come back out. He was growing tired and slightly impatient. He had been under the tree for what seemed closer to hours then the few minutes Reggie had promised. Hayate wasn't that great of a partner for a stakeout either. Hayate would run about briefly, chasing butterflies or a stray leaf. If he wasn't doing that he was on the ground getting a quick nap. Hayate didn't seem to interested in having a conversation with Alexander at the moment as a matter of fact at the current moment he was chasing another butterfly, constantly chomping at the air trying to catch it in his mouth.

Alexander remained slouched against the building in the nice shade it provided and stared at the Marine Base. Alexander picked at the hoodie he was wearing it was heavy and thick, it was almost like some kind of black wool and it annoyed him. He preferred the nice cloth his uniform was made out of. He had worn it almost everyday ever since he joined up with the academy he was sent to. He sighed and stretched back out in the shade trying to stay cool. He pulled Reggie's Marine cap down further on his head, using the bill of it block his face as he slowly began to drift to sleep.

However, as per usual Hayate didn't really like it when Alexander was starting to enjoy himself and began barking...loudly. Alexander shot up and leapt towards the dog almost ready to strangle him. He stopped as he noticed that Hayate's barking actually had a reason other than to make him miserable. Two Marine officers had approached him and was standing in front of him...with Alexander's hands inches away from their necks.

Alexander's hands went back to his side, "sorry," he mumbled trying to hide his voice. He didn't think he ever met them in the Marine Base, but it was possible that they could recognize his voice and try to put him under arrest. Just try though, Alexander would make sure it didn't get much further then that.

"What are you doing out here?" asked one of the Marines. The other one had his hand on his gun, just in case Alexander decided to try strangling them again. Alexander wasn't quite sure how to answer it and simply stumbled as he tried to come up with a good excuse. The Marine barked quickly, and to his credit much louder then Hayate, "I said 'what are you doing out here'. Spying on the Marine base?"

Alexander stayed where he was open mouthed and flabbergasted as he tried to figure out a reasonable excuse for why he was out here. If he would've thought it through earlier he would've realized that staying in one place for hours without moving was suspicious...and Marines were paranoid to act on such a thing. After all without a doubt while Alexander was watching them, they were watching him. "I was...uh, thinking about applying to the Marines...like my dad. Its his cap." Alexander twisted the cap around on the top of his head, trying not to move it enough to reveal his face.

The Marines hardened look disappeared as they smiled. "That's great. The Marines are a great fit for any lad!" they shouted as they clamped their hands onto his back. Alexander flinched forward as his cap slid loosely around on his head. He immediately pushed it back up and pulled the bill back down to cover his face. "Its always nice to get a new recruit, let us show you around. You'll get to see all the great things about this Marine Base."

"Uh...no thanks...its, uh, getting late," said Alexander stumbling over his own words. He knew the one worst place for a criminal to be was in a Marine Base, even with a disguise it made them feel awkward. Besides the one thing protecting him right now was a flimsy cap that was once more trying to reveal his secret. "I got to get going back to my mom...you know, ever since dad died she's been a bit..."

"Don't worry!" shouted the Marine as he tightened his grip on Alexander's body, causing him to panic and flinch again. "Its still early enough...it'll only be a few minutes." Alexander scoffed at the idea...Reggie was only supposed to be gone a few minutes now here he was being told the same thing again.

Alexander pushed himself free from the Marine, but the Marine immediately wrapped his arms around his shoulders again and this time added in a free noogie to Alexander's head. The Marine was definitely a weird guy. Not only did he want to kill Alexander and have his head on a stick for the Marines, but he also apparently wanted to be his new best friend. Alexander was unsure which one of those goals made the Marine give him a noogie. "It'll be a quick, right?" The other Marine nodded.

"Sorry, I really go to get going," said Alexander as he went down trying to slip out of the man's arm. He immediately regretted it. His bill of his Marine cap got caught on the man's massive arm, sliding it up and off of his head and sadly taking the hood of his hoodie with him. The three men stood there for a few seconds and tried to figure out what was happening. The gears slowly turned in the Marines' head until it finally clicked.

"Its him! Its that rotting scumbag of a horse's mother, Alexander!" shouted the Marine. Alexander did not have time to dwell on the rather odd, but colorful insult of the Marine. He didn't waste a single second shooting up and back onto his feet. He raced out and across the ground without slowing down for a second. Alexander flinched again as he heard gunshots and shouts from other Marines who were around and heard the Marine shout. Initiating on a short chase.

Hayate burst forward in front of Alexander, just as eager to get away from the Marines as Alexander, but for some reason he seemed to be smiling as he ran past almost as if he was enjoying the fact that Alexander got found out. "I blame you for this Hayate!" shouted Alexander as they ran past the Marine Base. He looked briefly behind him and saw the new larger horde of Marines chasing him, "HEY! Hayate! You just gonna run away and leave me to fight all of these guys by myself!"

Hayate didn't answer him, but one of the Marines responded with a shot of his gun. The bullet whizzed by his ear, creating an incredible sound as it whipped the air around it. Alexander felt like stopping and checking on his ear, but somehow checking to make sure his ear was still attached seemed like a waste of time. He kept running.

After awhile of running and more bullets whizzing by his head, the Marine Base had left his sight. He had to hope that Reggie didn't need his help for the time being, because there was no way he'd be able to assist her...not unless she wanted a bunch of angry men with guns. It was beginning to look like he wasn't going to be able to shake them either.

He decided it was time to fight. He spun around on his heels and, without thinking about it, launched a spinning roundhouse kick. The kick caught one of the Marines, blowing him backwards and off of the ground, sending him flying through the air. Alexander cringed as he brought his foot back down onto the ground, realizing he had probably just sent another Marine to the hospital. It seemed like he was sending them to the hospital far too often nowadays. He was probably going to get demoted due to 'rash and thoughtless' behavior despite the fact that they were the ones trying to kill him!

One of the Marines rushed towards him drawing his sword and bringing it down. Alexander's body morphed into its full iron form as he brought his two hands clapping together on the sword, freezing it in its tracks. Alexander then swung his knee forward, slamming it into the man's abdomen. The man was lifted off of his feet and into the air briefly. His grip on the sword loosened, so Alexander took advantage of the moment to pry it out of his hand and toss it aside. Then before the Marine could recover Alexander brought his elbow down and into the man's back, forcing him to the ground.

The next Marine began to rush Alexander before he had even tossed the first one aside. This one was wielding a mace. Alexander supposed he should've felt a strange kinship with it, but he didn't. He brought his fist forward just as the man swung the mace forward and the two collided in midair. There was a slight amount of give as he felt the mace crack from the power of his punch. However, he didn't wait for it to finally break. He spun around, rotating his other fist forward and at the Marine. Right before impact, Alexander suddenly remembered that they were supposed to be on the same side and transformed his body back to nice human flesh...then he hit the Marine.

This time Alexannder didn't wait for the next Marine to come charging towards him and took the fight to the next Marine. He rushed him, he slammed the heel of his foot into the top of the opposing Marine's foot. Then he swung his body upwards, knocking his elbow into the man's jaw. The man's head flew back and his arm's flew out from the impact. Alexander continued to swing his body around and fired a second punch straight to the man's gut. The man buckled under the horrendously powerful body blow.

Alexander decided that rather then waste this man, by just letting him fall to the floor he'd use him for a more productive matter. He heaved the body up and tossed it towards the other Marines. Most of the Marines hurried out of the way from his human projectile, but one of them got nicked by the man's foot. Alexander would have to remember to launch a formal apology to him when this matter was said and done...if he wasn't dead by the end of it.

The other Marines came rushing forward, this time they decided to screw the one-at-a-time bull crap and charge him all at once, sending a wave of seven or eight Marines at him simultaneously. Alexander rushed forward to meet them. He extended his arm and caught one of their necks with the inside of his elbow, forming a very inexperience clothesline. He swiped the Marine down and knocked him to the ground.

A stray punch from one of the nearby Marines knocked into Alexander's cheek. Undoubtedly if he was in his hybrid form, it would've broken the man's hand, but as it currently stood Alexander was trying his best to hold back and not permanently wound the Marines. Alexander turned around to face that Marine and met with another fist. Alexander stumbled backwards from the assault, but the Marines felt no sympathy, rushing up at him and launching a new rush of punches and kicks into Alexander's body. Alexander shook them off and leapt forward for the closest one. He brought his elbow down, smashing it into the man's shoulder, probably dislocating for the time being. He then rotated his body around and brought his other fist around, smashing it into the man's head. Alexander didn't waste a second, he had only taken care of two of the Marines that rushed. He moved quickly to the next one, slugging a single punch into his body, following it up with him chopping his hand into the man's neck. The man's mouth opened to scream, but no sound came out. He collapsed onto the ground.

Alexander kept swinging his body around, moving onto his next opponent, he swung his arm up and into the air, but it got caught as another Marine gathered up enough courage to grab onto it. "Let go of me!" shouted Alexander doing a front flip, lifting the man who had grabbed him off of the ground and tossing him in front of him and into the next Marine. Alexander moved on, deciding not to waste time with those two who would be groggily trying to stand for the next few minutes. He punched at another Marine, sending him to the ground. Alexander continued to rotate swinging his fist over and at the next Marine, putting all of his strength behind his punch.

A shot rang out and Alexander was tossed to the ground. He had taken his eyes off of one of the Marines and given him enough time to draw his gun and shoot him. Once more Alexander was wishing he had stayed in hybrid form and just bashed the guys' heads in, but he couldn't do that to fellow officers of the law. Alexander drew himself back up and onto his feet, only to be met with the other Marine smashing his knee into his face and sending him flailing backwards. Alexander stumbled and struggled to stay on his feet, but the second Marine had moved forward again bashing his head with his gun. Alexander collapsed onto the ground with a new bleeding wound in his shoulder and two throbbing, but separate pains in his head.

The Marine moved forward and raised his gun taking aim at Alexander.

* * *

><p>Like I said last chapter. I apologize for the jumping around thing between Reggie to Alexander, I just really wanted to mention Alexander's problems and continue on with him rather than stay here.<p>

And what's this?! A page cover for Iron Hammer?! How is that possible! Fairly easily actually...it was done in paint, because I'm cheap and don't have Illustrator. But everything was designed and drew using paint and nothing else, so enjoy cover!


	57. Chapter 57 A Pirate and a Friend?

**A Pirate and a Friend?**

**All Attacks on Adam!**

Alexander had been knocked down, his vision was blurred due to the consecutive blows to his soft and still very human head. He was still on the ground as the two other Marines began circling, each one of them with their pistol drawn and ready to shoot. The Marines smirked for a second, "looks like we'll become famous, maybe even get a promotion for catching you, the man who ambushed and defeated Captain Alexander." Alexander flinched as he prepared for the incoming gunshot.

He braced himself for it, returning once more to his full iron form. At this range it would hurt like hell taking two bullets even in his iron form like a 1000 miles per hour punch, he'd just brace it and get back up when it was all said and done. He heard the shot that was meant to end his life...but he didn't feel it. Another series of shots rang through the air. Alexander remained on the ground gritting his teeth and preparing for the first bullet to enter his body, but none came.

He felt a heavy pressure collapse onto his chest. He kept his eyes closed, expecting this to just be another trap by the Marines. Throw something on top of him to make him react and then blow his head off. He wasn't falling for it. Suddenly he felt a metal pipe or barrel tap against the side of his head, "rise and shine." Alexander slowly opened his eyes to find the Marine officer, the one that had pistol whipped him, was now laying on top of him with a nice open hole in the back of his head. Alexander shoved him off of his body and scurried back using his hands and feet to move away. He glanced side-to-side and noticed that the other Marines all had similar bullet holes in their head, even the ones he had already taken out.

"Its a beautiful sight, ain't it?" asked the only other living human around. Alexander looked up at him. He was wearing thick leather pants and a matching leather jacket along with a dirty and stained white shirt underneath it. His face was covered up by a white mask with a permanent smiley face sloppily painted onto it. "I love the smell of rotting corpses in the morning, you?" Alexander's eyes fell onto the man's weapon. A dark blue pure steel shotgun.

Alexander stood up. "Its illegal to kill Marine officers, you know?" stated Alexander. Ordinarily he would read him his rights and threaten to arrest him, but where would he take him? To the Marine Base that currently wanted him dead? It seemed like a stupid idea in earnest. Besides technically the man had just saved his life, even if he did take about eight others, it still seemed like a rotten way to thank him.

"I'm fairly certain I read that in some fairy tale...it had a terrible ending tho' with all the other humans in the world getting screwed over. The name's Dan Colt, Captain and only member of the Smile Bringing Pirates!" the man stated patting Alexander on the back. "Ya got a crew, yet?"

"Huh?" asked Alexander as he looked over at Dan, completely lost in what Dan was asking.

"I saw your little show," said Dan pointing out the Marine bodies, "took down 'bout ten of them before you got yer ass handed to you. I could use yer muscles on my crew...but I'm not someone to go about stealing another man's nakama, so if you're already hitched just say so."

"I'm a Captain of my own crew," stated Alexander, then he decided to quickly add, "a Marine crew."

"..." Dan stood there for a few second, his jaw hanging down behind his mask. "Marines are trying to kill other Marines, I never took them for those kind of bastards. And you don't want out, yet?" Alexander shook his head. "Well, if you change yer mind about trying to enforce 'False' Justice...here's my vivre card, look me up! The offer of joining my crew always stands to strong people." Dan flipped a small piece of paper out of his pocket and pressed it into Alexander's hand.

"Giving a Marine a surefire way to find and arrest you?" asked Alexander as he tested out the vivre card and sure enough it pointed at the bastard's smug smiling mask. "Do you want to go to prison or something?"

"Hrmph, intelligently speaking it may not be my best idea, but I got a strong feeling from you," laughed Dan as he patted Alexander's shoulder. "Oh, by the way you may want to check out the Marine Base here. I heard some strong explosions coming from its direction." Dan dashed off away.

Alexander was half tempted to chase him down and find him, but if he was telling the truth the Marine Base needed more attention, especially considering he had just taken out probably half of the Marines that were stationed there. How many more were left there to deal with the resulting explosions? He absentmindedly stuffed the man's vivre card into his pocket and began to race back to the Marine Base.

(-With Reggie and Rina-)

Adam slipped his fist in between Rina's full-powered uppercut and his chin, blocking her fist and slowing it down before it smashed into him. He pushed her asides and took up his regular stance as he prepared for another attack. Reggie had returned to trying to unlock Specter's cage, fidgeting with the keys. Adam shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts before Rina initiated another exchange.

Rina moved forward, taking two or three steps at a time to try and close the distance between her and Adam. Adam chuckled as he brought his two long arms over his body to block the blow. Rina smashed her fist into his guard and even managed to push him back a little from the force, but Adam immediately went to one-up her. He spun his arms out and launched a devastating hook punch at Rina's head. Rina ducked beneath it, but felt his hand swipe through her medium-length hair.

Rina immediately swayed backwards and jumped away. Adam withdrew in the same instant. Reggie broke the silence with a quick, "finally" as one of the keys finally locked into place. She turned it and opened the cell door. Specter stumbled out of the cage and rushed Adam. He fired a quick punch at Adam's head, but Adam was much more skilled in martial arts and swatted him aside, he then followed up with a quick punch to Specter's face.

"Sorry about that, but I've been locked up in that jail cell while you guys had been fighting I just wanted to get a quick punch in," said Specter as he wiped some blood from his lip. "I guess I kind of screwed that up, didn't I?"

"Yeah," muttered Rina, "but as far as energy goes you are definitely ahead of me and Reggie." Reggie scoffed at the sentiment, but her hand remained at her side trying to keep the pain down. "And none of us have our weapons either so we're probably all on par when it comes to physical fitness."

"Hang on," said Specter tipping the table over onto its side and ripping one of the legs off. "Not quite as high-tech as I'd like, but it'll do." He tossed it over to Rina. He bent down to get the next one, but Adam's hand blew through the air smashing into his side and sending him tumbling onto the table, snapping it in two.

"We have delved into the final ring of hell. So, I'll apologize, but I'm no longer allowed to give you more time...He says so." Specter grunted as he rolled around and struggled to his feet. Adam's hand once more shot out at him, threatening to beak his bones, Specter ducked down beneath the fist. Adam rushed forward towards him immediately while he was still ducking. Adam swung his arm downwards, intending to smash his elbow into the top of Specter's head.

Rina rushed forward and met Adam halfway, she blocked his punch, but the block didn't seem to do her much good as Adam's inhuman strength once more sent her flying through the air. "God's divine light is wasted on human beings like yourselves. If you cannot comprehend your own weaknesses then you have no right to breathe the air that God had worked so hard to create for us."

"I've heard of religious maniacs, but I think this guy has to rank pretty high up there," said Specter as he stood up with a new table leg for a weapon. Adam jumped into the air and at Specter. Specter brought the table leg around and intended to guard with it, but Adam's fast hand shot out and smashed it in two. When Adam landed he immediately outstretched his other hand slamming an open palm into Specter's gut and threw him backwards from the force.

Reggie charged at him and swung the table leg, full strength into the back of Adam's head. Adam's head jerked forward, but he quickly rotated around smashing his fist into Reggie's head knocking her down almost instantly. By now Rina was back on her feet and rushing in to take advantage of Adam's temporary confusion from multiple attackers. Once more she rotated her body around and slammed her fist into Adam's liver once more. Just like hammering a nail into wood, her blows continued to hit the same spot and pound on the damage. Adam twisted from the pain, he uncoiled himself, sending his arms swinging around him like buzzsaw.

Rina ducked beneath it, but decided trying to take another swing at him was too hazardous to her health and backed away. She glanced over her shoulder and noticed that Specter was just now starting to stand. Adam rushed for them both his two arms tucked into his side, prepared to launch either one out at lightning fast speeds.

Specter finally managed to scramble to his feet when Adam launched his first punch, it moved like a whip with the bending trajectory it gained from Adam's two elbows. Specter dodged to the side and rolled across the ground avoiding the blasting punch. As a last ditch effort Specter tossed his two half legs of the table at Adam, but Adam's free hand snapped up and swatted the two to the side with ease.

Rina charged forward again, she speed up straight for Adam, wasting only a brief moment to pick up one of the small broken table legs that he had just swatted away. She rushed forward and thrust with the weapon, bringing the splintered and broken edge of the table leg into Adam's side. She had to thank the heavens that he wasn't wearing any armor beneath his shirt. She felt a welling feeling of relief as she saw the splinters dig into Adam's side and draw blood. Sadly even with his newly found bleeding wound Adam didn't slow down. He rotated his entire body around smashing his arm into Rina's forehead and flinging her back.

Reggie moved forward and began to swing her wooden pole while it wasn't her frying pan, the idea of hitting with it was still the same just plant your feet rotate your torso and smash it into your opponent's head with all of your might. The wooden shaft hit Adam's head with all of Reggie's weight thrown behind it. Reggie wasn't a very heavy girl, but it still put at least an additional one hundred pounds of force behind the swing that came smashing into Adam's head.

Adam stumbled back his head now spinning from the heavy attack to the side of his head. He was wobbly on his feet. He was sure that the attack wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for the other two, the consecutive attacks on him made him slower to perceive the attacks as well as they distracted him, not to mention the new bleeding wound in his side. "No...I cannot fail...I am God's right hand. His power flows through me even one one-hundredth of his power cannot fail...so I cannot fail!" muttered Adam as he straightened his back and rushed for Rina. His calm composure and his faith both shattered in that instant, his eyes were filled with rage with just a slight shimmer of fear.

Rina stood still and swung her right leg up and into the air. Using her planted left foot as a pivot she brought her foot down and smashed it into Adam's face with a powerful downwards kick. He was spent spinning backwards and smashing into the wall, his arms dropped to the ground his spirit just leaving his body, "why...why did I lose? I had faith in God...I was sure he was supporting me..."

Specter walked forward and crouched in front of Adam. "You may have faith in God, but our faith in our friends is greater."

* * *

><p>Yeah...some cheesy line said at the end of a chapter. Its just to let you know what is to come and usually when its something as heartfelt as that its either really good or really bad. You wanna know which? Well, I'll let you guess!<p> 


	58. Chapter 58 The Big Bang

**The Big Bang!  
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"Your friends?" chuckled Adam as a trickle of blood escaped his lips. "Friends mean nothing...you can only have faith in God. When I joined Taka I was amazed for there...there stood three men who were as close to God as humanly possible. Their strength...intelligence...abilities were God-like. I and many other men amongst Taka's ranks called them such...The Three Gods of Taka...when I heard that name I realized...these were the men to stand alongside they'll conquer the world! They'll conquer the world! They'll conquer the world!" Adam began to chant.

"Shut it!" shouted Specter smashed his elbow into the top of Adam's head. "Can you believe him? Talking about stuff like that. I'm surprised a true man of religion could stand another human calling himself God."

"You sound surprisingly pissed," stated Rina as she looked up and down at Specter. He just shrugged in response. "Anyways, I'm surprised that they have such faith in their leaders. I mean I would never even think to call the Fleet Admiral a god. He's as strong as any man I know, but I think God is stretching it quite a bit."

"So, what are they a cult or something? This Taka group?" asked Reggie offering a reasonable idea. Specter once more shrugged as he had no idea either, it was his first time actually running into them, same with Reggie.

Rina sighed. It appeared that she was the only one that fully knew what Taka was since she had run in with them once before. While it was true she had no idea about what their goal was she knew more than enough about how they operate namely the trampling over any human life even their own comrades. "They are group of assassins, right?" she stated turning to Adam for confirmation. Adam simply grunted and nodded. "I don't quite know what they actually do, but the last time I met them they were interested in taking over a kingdom simply for the natural resources that were there so they could make more money. I'm guessing assassinations don't pay as much as they used to."

"I can see," said Specter reclining back into one of the chairs that were left after the fight, "you can't really go around advertising it, can you?" Adam chuckled. "Got a laugh out of you, didn't I?"

"No, its just that you are sitting here discussing my business like I'm down and out for the count," he said with a confident smirk returning to his face. "But you don't even know the half of it...we make millions doing our regular line of work everybody everywhere has someone they want dead and we literally make a killing off of it." Specter grimaced at Adam's blatant and unappealing pun.

"But we do need more money. Why, you ask?" asked Adam, "because of what we are planning. Everybody everywhere wants someone dead and that applies to assassins, too." He looked around at each and every one of them, expecting some kind of reaction. "What we are planning is a world-wide mass homicide. A form of cleansing...we form a list of requirements and anyone who do not fulfill said list of requirements die..."

"Quite some holy work you do during your free time, isn't it?" asked Specter, looking down at Adam. "Why can't you just volunteer at some homeless shelter or something? Or are all priests secretly an assassin bent on world domination?"

"Have you heard of genetic diseases?" asked Adam. "These diseases run through blood lines so whenever a person with it reproduces the offspring have a higher chance of having it, too. We cull them and we save millions of newborn babies the chance of having to suffer. The world makes too many allowances for people who are not fit to live. We have elderly people living way past their usefulness, handicapped folks sitting around and doing nothing, we are making allowances for people who do not contribute to society and we allow them to walk."

"And this is your way of contributing?" asked Rina, "murder of these people?"

"Don't act so high-and-mighty miss Marine," shouted Adam straining to sit-up again. "You people are the worst! Do you know how much money goes into keeping one prisoner alive? And for what for them to live the rest of their life in a dark hole?" He nodded towards the cells. "If you are so high-and-mighty spend some of that money on helping society! In the new world order all crimes shall be executable by death! You don't want people to steal? Place a loaded collar around their neck and the red button in the hand of just! Extreme punishments are the only thing that gets through the thick-headed mass of society! We will be the extreme punishment! God can only do so much, we will help him, we will aide him in delivering his justice! We will aide him in perfecting this world!" Adam's arms stretched across his chest and ripped his clothes open revealing his chest and more importantly was strapped to his chest.

"A bomb!" shouted Rina, pointing at the metallic tubes that were tightly bound to Adam's chest. Specter and Reggie both grimaced and took a half-step back.

"I'm sorry, but I'll be leaving you guys on Hell's doorstep as I ascend into God's grace!" Reggie, Specter, and Rina turned about and began to run for the door hoping that the solid stone walls of the base would help protect them. However, the next few moments were consumed in a brilliant bright white flash.

(-With Alexander-)

Alexander froze in front of the Marine Base as he heard the explosion come from inside it. He couldn't do much as the ground shuddered from the strength of the bomb, nearly wrecking the ground beneath him. His eyes locked onto the ground as it began to break away allowing the Marine Base to tilt slightly to one side. He raced forward, but immediately skidded backwards to avoid another hole as the ground beneath him gave way. He grabbed onto the ledge and pulled himself up onto the second floor of the island.

He looked down through the hole and noticed the Marine Base was very much falling apart. The bottom floor of the Marine Base was always jutting out beneath this floor, but now it was free-falling. The explosion must've knocked some of it loose and just separated it. It was definitely a strong blast. It looked like Dan-kun was telling the truth. He was surprised that a Marine-murdering pirate could be so truthful.

Alexander paused as he looked up at what remained of the Marine base wondering what exactly he could do to help, after all he couldn't just go in and declare his intent to help they still hated him for no good reason. He sighed as he turned around. Suddenly an idea hit him.

He could go help out the people who fell and were injured! If he did that then there would be no

complaints, right? They were too injured to complain and if he helped them out it would help with his credibility he could do that and be back on the track to good Marine-dom once more. He rushed off and thankfully he managed to get into a good geyser elevator and lowered to the floor pretty easily without having to wait too long. He quickly charge over to the rubble.

He bent down and began to chuck the large slabs of bricks away trying to unearth any missing Marines, however, after several chunks of building were tossed aside he still hasn't found anyone. "Am I...going...to have to...remove every...block of stone...to find somebody?" huffed out Alexander in between heavy breaths. Removing these slabs of stone were starting to tire him out faster than it should, especially considering all the other exercises he has done today. It was surprising that he hadn't become exhausted earlier.

Suddenly a loud and slightly annoying bark came cutting through the air. Alexander turned around and saw Hayate, standing over a pile of rocks, barking loudly like he always did. "What the heck are you doing here?" asked Alexander, "you left me all alone when I was fighting against those Marines and now you are going to act like the big hero?"

Hayate made another sound directed at Alexander, except he wasn't sure if it was another bark trying to get his attention or a growl threatening his life. Alexander assumed that either one demanded his attention so he went over to the pile of rubble and began moving the large rocks to the side, with Hayate standing off to the side like the slave driver Alexander imagined him to be.

Alexander finally saw what Hayate had supposedly smelled. It was a small green ribbon with burned edges, which strangely enough reminded Alexander of the green ribbon that decorated Rina's uniform, but that was impossible. Rina wouldn't have died from something like that. He tossed it aside and kept moving the rocks out of the way hoping to find whatever Hayate was barking at.

"Jya ha ha ha!" laughed Satoshi as he came into view. He was basically being cradled by Seth, who landed on the ground at that moment. "I have no idea what happened, but I almost thought that we were goners! A bomb went off in the Marine Base and almost took us with it. I was so surprised when I when saw the white light engulf us! Lucky for us you are more than capable of surviving an explosion like that due to your Devil Fruit power. Too bad for all the other idiots trapped in the Marine Base at the time, huh?" Satoshi laughed once more and jabbed Seth in the ribs, acting buddy-buddy with his partner.

Seth didn't react. His eyes had locked onto Alexander as if he was his new prey. His eyes filled with a form of ferocious hunger and anger. He pointed at Alexander, finally bringing Satoshi's view to the other human around them. Satoshi froze and for a split second he mumbled something out unintelligible as he watched the man he was pretending to be work right in front of them. Just as amazing as the fact that Satoshi didn't see Alexander, Alexander didn't see them. His attention was still on the pile of rubble that he was moving to the side.

Satoshi smiled at his luck once more. Not only did he manage to survive the bomb, but now his opponent was right in front of him, completely ignorant of him. Now he could blame the bombing on him as well, say that he saw him set-up the bomb and that he took him out! The Marines would call him a hero when he was done weaving his delicate web of lies! And for what? For killing one of their own! It would be hilarious and he and Seth would be the only two in on the joke! To make things even better he be getting paid! It was just all too hilarious!

Satoshi crept forward careful not to make a sound as he grew ever closer to Alexander. His hand went down to his coat pocket and pulled out the kitchen knife he had stolen from Reggie. While he was upset he couldn't use the knife to skewer her, it looked like he would be even luckier and use it skewer his real target. In a few more steps Satoshi would be right upon Alexander, blade in hand delicately holding it above his neck, ready and anticipating the plunge into his soft flabby, unguarded neck. Yes...that was what he would do.

Satoshi was soon off into his own little world of enjoying the act of killing that had yet to be commenced. His imagination was so vivid he could see every speck of blood that would be flung from Alexander's neck. Satoshi was more than upset when he snapped out of his world because of the most annoying noise in the world. The little dog that Alexander was with had locked eyes onto the knife and was barking in protest.

* * *

><p>Sometimes you just got to blow a character up. Once more I want to repeat that nobody should offended by Adam's over-the-top devotion, this is the last time you'll see it. Next some small clarifications: The term God was just something I selected as it seems right for the majority of my villains, who are either crazy, have god-complexes, or are 'good guys'. If you guys don't believe Adam's goal, let me put it a simpler way...world domination in the name of good. That's pretty much how I think of it.<p> 


	59. Chapter 59 Alexander Meet Satoshi

**Alexander Meet Satoshi**

Satoshi froze with the knife precariously perched in the air above Alexander's still very human neck. The dumb dog started to bark vicariously at him and his knife. Satoshi growled back, showing his teeth wishing that the dumb dog would shut up and leave him alone. Out of all the worthless mutts in the world why did this one have to be here? Why couldn't be out somewhere else peeing on fire hydrants rather than ruining his perfect chance at slaying this one person and making money!

Satoshi stepped forward and made a half-lunge for the dog, intending to scare it away with his obvious higher intelligence and much more massive size, but that only seemed to the egg the dog on. Hayate erupted into a new symphony of barks, whines, and growls all of them directed at Alexander, trying to snap him out of his funk of moving the boulders.

"SHUT UP!" shouted Alexander, throwing a chunk of rock over at Hayate, causing him to jump more than Satoshi's lunge did. Hayate barked back at him, determined to warn him of the approaching dangerous man behind him. "I'm working on it! I don't know if you noticed but there is a lot of rocks around here! I can't move every single one in a blink of an eye!" Hayate responded with more barks. "And your slave driving bark isn't helping!" shouted Alexander, picking up another small pebble and tossing it next to Hayate.

Hayate's eyes flashed. He no longer wanted to protect Alexander, no that was the furthest thing from his mind when he leapt up from the ground and charged over to him. He bared his fangs and embedded them into Alexander's arms. Hayate's interest in the evil man with the knife was reduced to 0 in a matter of a few seconds, and his interest in harming Alexander rose once again.

"Let go of me!" shouted Alexander, waving his arm around the air trying to wrench Hayate loose. "Why the hell do you hate me so much! Barking orders and attacking me without reason! What the hell are you pretending to be? One of my superior officers?" Alexander waved his arms again, spinning them about with reckless abandon.

Satoshi almost let loose a fit of laughter, not only at the complete and total buffoon that they were supposed to kill, but also the idiots who had to have him dead. The Taka organization had told them stories that their 'agents' had supposedly received and those made him out to be a deadly one man army, not the idiot who was fighting with dog. Despite Satoshi's larger ego and mocking inner commentary to the scene in just a few moments it would've been possible that it would be him and not Alexander who Hayate was fighting with. Regardless of that fact he kept holding back his laughter.

Seth didn't seem to have the same sense of humor as Satoshi did. He didn't even crack a smile as he watched the dog and Alexander fight. His eyes remained void of any kind of judgment and he was just waiting patiently for his time to handle them. He had no desire in fighting the small furry animal, his intentions were to fight with and win against the larger human fighter, but he supposed he would as they said 'take on the winner'.

Alexander spun about once more, this time managing to wrench and set Hayate free from his arm, almost throwing him at Satoshi. Satoshi jumped up, dodging to the side as the poor dog hit the ground, managing to land on all four feet. Hayate growled and barked once more at Alexander. Alexander stepped forward to take on the challenge, but stopped when he saw Satoshi standing there staring at the two of them with something between disbelief at their stupidity and amusement.

"Sorry, about that," laughed Alexander, realizing how stupid they must've looked...or he looked as he acknowledged the fact that Hayate was just a dog. Most people would assume that he was incapable of starting an argument, much less a fight with a higher human, but Alexander knew better...oh, did he know better then that. "He's just a very annoying barker."

Satoshi nodded, unsure of what to say. What do you say to the man who you were about to kill after he got done fighting with a lower animal and presumably tying with the lower animal? Satoshi simply smiled and nodded at Alexander.

Alexander continued to laugh until it began to sound creepy and mildly alarming. He paused and looked around. Suddenly he realized something! He knew these two from somewhere! He stopped and looked at them, trying to put it together. He had been on a couple of islands and had talked to nearly thousands of Marines, so it was hard to figure out where exactly he had met these two at, but he knew whoever they were, they were important...he just couldn't figure out why. They had no immediate notice on them, no Marine hats on or badges, which usually symbolized something significant. No, the two were just dressed like regular civilians. Except for one of them had a knife in his hand.

"Eh...what are you doing with that knife?" asked Alexander pointing out the sharpened utensil in Satoshi's hand. Satoshi flinched, suddenly remembering that he was still gripping the knife tightly, true it wasn't like it was before, up in the air only a twitch of the arm away from stealing somebody's life, but it was definitely menacing nonetheless.

"I'm a doctor," Satoshi lied without a thought. It was second nature, it was more out of the ordinary for him to the tell truth than to lie about it. It didn't bother him one bit as he continued his fascinating and completely false tale, "field doctor on my old island. We had terrible third-world medicine techniques and even worse equipment. Scalpels are too expensive so we just use clean knives instead. I heard the explosion and immediately rushed over here to help heal any of the injured using my techniques."

"Oh," piqued Alexander, completely believing his blatant lie. Alexander had been in numerous hospitals so it was possible that he had seen these two there before and it also helped explain why he didn't quite remember who they were. "Sorry, but I haven't found any of them yet," muttered Alexander, turning around, placing his back to them once more. This spurred a silly and wide grin on Satoshi's face.

Satoshi lifted the knife up, readied it to plunge once more into the back of Alexander. He wasn't about to waste a second this time. If the dog barked he wouldn't care, one way or another he was going to finish him off. He plunged the knife down aiming for Alexander's neck. Alexander spun around, moving on pure instincts rather than intelligence. He smashed his elbow into Satoshi's wrist, nicking his arm on the knife. However, that was it. He dislodged the knife from Satoshi's grip and sent it flying off. Satoshi cursed briefly, grabbing onto his wrist as he felt it swell from the tremendous force of Alexander's elbow strike.

This time it was Alexander who looked at Satoshi funny. He had an expression of complete and total disbelief written on his face as he tried to size up the friendly doctor who looked like he was trying to kill him. "What are you doing?" asked Alexander deciding that just straight up asking would be undoubtedly the best way to solve this problem.

"I...um...I saw this weird growth on the back of your neck. Its very bad news and I wanted to get rid of it right away, you leave these things unchecked and it could wind up killing you," stated Satoshi once more lying his way through the problem. "I'm just looking out for your health." He didn't know why he was still laying it on this thick...who would believe him?

"Oh, okay..." said Alexander accepting his poor explanation. Then he thought of something. "Hey, we need a doctor on my crew! Wanna join?" Satoshi jumped surprised by the question, how the hell do you respond to that random proposition? "Your friend can join too!" Seth growled at Alexander, causing him to take a small step back.

"Um...I...I...I have no idea how to respond to that," stuttered Satoshi. "I'll...uh, I'll think about and while I do why don't you turn around and let me work on that weird formation on the back of your neck." Satoshi began greedily rubbing his hands together as he thought about it. Maybe he could even squeeze some money out of this poor guy for the 'operation'.

"Sorry," said Alexander lifting another rock up and chucking it to the side, "but I have no idea where any of my health records are, so I can't have you inspect me or anything. I'll just have to get it checked out some other time."

Satoshi jumped up, figuring now was a good a time as any. He pounced towards Alexander and brought the knife down aiming for his neck. Alexander rotated around once more, this time firing a quick and sure punch into Satoshi's gut knocking him backwards and sending him rolling away from him. "What is wrong with you? You could've killed me!" asked Alexander staring down at Satoshi.

"Well, um...as a doctor I can't just turn a blind eye to someone who needs medical attention. I've had to deal with plenty of idi-people who refused to take treatments so I've gotten into the bad habits of kind forcing them to do it, I'm sorry...I just can't let a sick person go unhealed!" declared Satoshi. He didn't expect the guy to believe him, but he believed him before so it is quite possible that he would believe him now. He would just have to hope that this guy was a complete and total moron.

"Oh...I understand the pain but you can't just force treatments onto people," comforted Alexander, bending down to be face-to-face with poor Satoshi who was still laying about on the ground. "You just need to wait for them to be ready and then heal them okay?"

"Okay, okay, oka...!" began Satoshi, but he was interrupted by Seth who had apparently had enough of the blatant lies and stupid faith Alexander had in mankind. Seth rushed up and slammed his fist forward into Alexander's face blowing him back and knocking him through the air. "Bwa ha ha ha ha!" laughed Satoshi, "exactly as I planned. Now that he is knocked out I can..." Alexander stood back up his hand clenching his head, "I can begin the operation!" Satoshi continued trying his best to remain in character.

"What the heck!?" shouted Alexander, "what's wrong with you? Are you intentionally trying to kill me?"

Satoshi paused for a moment and thought about his choices, finally he just shrugged and said, "I was getting tired with this jig anyways. **Smoke Star!**" Three small ninja-like stars were in each hand, put between every two fingers. He threw them out and into the window creating a large smokescreen that completely coated Alexander and the rest of the surrounding area. Satoshi smiled, in the smoke he would have the advantage. He flicked his small knife out once more and charged into the smoke.

He found Alexander fairly easily, he was coughing and hacking from the smoke. Even without Satoshi's eyes, which had already adjusted to the smoke from being used to it from all of his other battles, he still could've found him. He leapt forward, and brought his knife down in a diagonal arc. He knew it would hit him, there was no doubt in Satoshi's mind. And yet, rather than feeling the knife dive down into Alexander's soft neck he felt it ricochet up and into the air as if it had hit something metallic.

Satoshi's head swiveled to the side to look at his newly acquired and now newly ruined kitchen knife. It had been bent, crushed upwards becoming a jagged wave from tip to handle. Satoshi was in awe of whatever had just happened, he was clueless as to what kind of underhanded trick Alexander had put into motion while he was covered in smoke.

The smoke soon began to clear revealing Alexander standing there in his hybrid form a suit of hardened blue iron, with touches of black soot from the smoke, encasing his body. Immediately Alexander struck out, lashing out with his hard elbow at Satoshi's head. Satoshi dodged back and watched as his elbow came soaring through the air above his head.

"Now I remember you!" shouted Alexander recognizing them from in front of the Marine Base. Hayate was following them, they were the guys that were impersonating him and was responsible for locking up Rina and Specter.

* * *

><p>Yup, Alexander is a tad bit slow, but he hasn't really ever met Satoshi face-to-face. This is the first time they technically met Alexander spied on Satoshi twice now, but never for any extended periods of time. For you people who are wondering if the rest of the crew survived the explosion...WAIT AND SEE! Mwa ha ha ha ha!<p>

Other than that you guys better get excited as I am definitely pumped up for the next few chapters to come. This arc is almost over! Prepare for one of the toughest fights for Alexander yet and by far the toughest news for him ever!


	60. Chapter 60 A Fight with a Pirate

**A Fight With a Pirate...**

**And Another Pirate...  
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Alexander rushed forward. He leapt up and brought his knee upwards aiming for Satoshi's jaw with his iron hard knee, Satoshi leaned back barely avoiding it, but Alexander's experience made avoiding an attack altogether more troublesome. Alexander lashed out with a kick in midair, slamming his foot into Satoshi's chest. Satoshi's eyes went wide from the hit as he stumbled backwards. Alexander was back on the ground and launching another consecutive punch just as Satoshi recovered, Alexander fired his fist forward with as much speed and strength as possible and felt it hit home in Satoshi's chest once more.

Satoshi was off-balance, the consecutive hits from what felt like a hammer to his chest was making it more and more difficult to breathe. His vision was becoming so blurred that Alexander's next punch was too fuzzy to make out and it hit Satoshi in the side of the face, sending him scrambling for the ground. Satoshi immediately struggled to get back to his feet, but couldn't as Alexander brought his foot down on top of him, smashing him into the ground. He kept his foot on top of him. Alexander's weight in this form was considerably greater than any other human on the planet, so even with the bare minimum of pressure Alexander was capable of holding down a weak man like Satoshi.

Satoshi squirmed beneath Alexander's feet for a few seconds. Seth just stood by and watched, he was interested in seeing how strong Alexander was. Like a wild animal he had a radar for sensing other strong animals and while it had initially pointed out Alexander, it was definitely telling Seth about him now. Seth just wanted to see the lengths Alexander would go...could go. He remained stationary as Alexander began to read Satoshi his rights.

Satoshi managed to get his fingers around another one of his smoke stars and he gripped it tight enough where it exploded into the smokescreen and got a coughing fit out of Alexander, causing him to loosen his stomping foot. Satoshi pushed Alexander off of him and scrambled away using the heavy smog as an effective cover. Alexander charged out of the smoke, lowering his shoulder and bust through it with a heavy tackle. Satoshi jumped up, even though Alexander was more than a few feet away from him.

Once out of the smoke Alexander twisted around and looked at Satoshi, he brought both of his fists up and prepared for another punch. "Wait! Wait! WAIT!" screamed Satoshi trying to buy himself a bit more time to recover from Alexander's previous punches to his chest. "I can explain! I can explain everything!" His mind was frantically working in over-time to come up with a good lie that could cover his butt. However, his mind went blank as he stared at Alexander, who despite stopping his attacks to give Satoshi the chance to explain was still staring daggers at him.

"My mother was killed!" Satoshi blurted out. He paused for a second as he had no idea where that came from. It was a lie, a complete lie. His mother and father were still alive and even together. They loved him, they welcomed him and Seth whenever they came over for a visit. He was completely clueless to why that was the first stupid excuse that popped into his mind. "Um...yeah, my mother was killed by Marines and not just any Marine, but your BOSS! My vendetta against your boss is so strong that I take it out on all Marines I see, I'm sorry that you guys got wrapped up in it, but I cannot let the heinous beast, you call a boss go unpunished!"

"Veri Fresh?" asked Alexander with a completely clueless look on his face. He found it hard to believe that anyone could consider that man to be heinous beast. His choice in hair color was frightening, but that made it even more unlikely.

"YES!" shouted Satoshi reading off of Alexander's reaction, "him! He acts like a shy little sheep, but he is a true wolf! He is a thousand times worse than any pirate in these blues! He is a monster, I wish to stop him at all costs! As a matter of fact, I would be very happy if you were to help in taking him down! What do you say?"

Alexander's mind was a little bit to preoccupied to think about Satoshi's offer. He couldn't imagine Veri Fresh being a wolf or a sheep, he was an onion...a purple onion. True, a purple onion that was a Rear Admiral and his current commanding officer, but to think of him as a wolf was ridiculous. "I seriously think that you are wrong, a guy like that couldn't have killed your mother."

"Oh, you are wrong!" shouted Satoshi, "I saw him! I'd never forget his face! He was wearing a mask at the time to hide his identity from any one else, but after he killed my mom in my house, he removed that mask and I saw his sick smile...just after my dad left us too!" Might as well lay it on thick, the lie was quick and a last ditch play, but it was still something that Satoshi had created and he'd go all out to escape.

Alexander was stunned at the thought. Satoshi had been lying to him since the beginning, how could he be sure that the ludicrous accusation of Veri Fresh being a wolf wasn't just another a lie, but if he was telling the truth...then Veri Fresh was a psychopath and needed to be stopped. He was high enough in the ranks of the Marines to be able to do whatever he wanted. He needed to be stopped, if in fact what Satoshi said was true.

"Is what you are saying true?" asked Alexander. He wasn't expecting an honest answer from this bastard, so for good measures he added, "and you better not lie," and he quickly pounded his fists together to emphasize his wishes.

Satoshi hid his smile. He would definitely lie, but this half-wit wouldn't notice. "Yes, everything I'm saying is one-hundred percent true. It is very well cause of Veri Fresh that I did what I did, I apologize for it and everything, but I just want that man to pay dearly for the hideous things that he has done."

Alexander paused and thought of it, finally he backed up and said, "for the brief time that I've been a true Marine out at sea and not cooped up in one building, I've come to realize that the Marines aren't the poster boy for good behavior, but...but I do have complete faith in my commanding officer, Veri Fresh. So, I'm sorry, but I'll have to bring you in under arrest. You can come quietly or I can show you why you shouldn't mess with a Marine captain's crew!"

"Rgh," gritted Satoshi backing up on the ground. He didn't fully believe his lie failed and he probably left him with a minor regret, but he managed to ignore it and move forward. Fine, then! Whenever Plan A fails, move onto Plan B why waste time? "Seth, finish him!" Satoshi stood up and pointed at Alexander while looking back at Seth. He then pivoted his head around to face Alexander once more. "Seth is the strongest guy I've ever met. You don't stand a chance!

"Seth ate the Piku-Piku no mi*, which allows him to dramatically increase his strength, speed, or defense at the time of his choosing!" laughed Satoshi. "Its like a switch! One second he is a normal-mannered regular run-of-the-mill guy, next he beefs up and his muscles become the size of ships! He's an unstoppable and unforgiving bodyguard! I hired him when I saw him in action, our mutual love of money had brought us together and kept us together! I'm the brains and Seth's the muscle! A perfect combina-" Satoshi's words were cut off there.

His eyes crept down his body and at the blood that was pooling from a fresh wound in his abdomen. Satoshi turned his head around and saw Seth confidently standing behind him with a knife in his hand, which had a fresh new coat of blood on it. Satoshi's eyes swooped across the horizon hoping to see something that made sense, but Alexander looked just as bewildered as he did, if not more so. "Wha-why-why did you...?" Satoshi stumbled over a few words due to his confusion and new massive wound.

Seth chuckled and pushed Satoshi down to the ground. Seth raised his foot and began to swivel it about on top of Satoshi's head, pushing him deeper and deeper into the dirt. "You lied to me, you little shit," cursed Seth as he continued to press Satoshi's face into the ground. "You told me a wonderfully imaginative tale about how my parents sold me out to the Marines JUST TO GET RID OF ME! You told me my parents abandoned me and would do anything to get rid of me! I didn't figure out that you were lying till much, much later, but when I did I started to plot my revenge out on you! This was my goal for several years!" Seth raised his foot into the air and began to rapidly stomp on top of Satoshi's head, slowly caving it in. "I trained like hell for these years, just so one day I could I kill you! Send you to the depths of hell! And now! Now I've done it! And the timing couldn't be better! You'll die known as a Marine, the one thing we both truly hated! How does it make you feel? Huh, how! Does! It! Make! You! Feel!" He shouted each word stomp being accentuated with another stomp on to poor Satoshi's skull.

Seth felt something tighten up around his arm and he turned around to see Alexander standing next to him, with his hand gripped onto his arm. "Stop." The word carried the force and tone of an order and it caused Seth to let up with his brutal beating of Satoshi.

He took his foot off and planted it on the ground, he turned around to face Alexander. "Oh, yeah, and what do you care, Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes Marine?" Alexander hadn't quite thought this through and now as he stood face-to-face and toe-to-toe with Seth, he realized that they weren't quite face-to-face. Seth had a good half a foot on him and it was kind of annoying to look up at him at such an angle.

"You have murdered an individual and you are a pirate, so as a Marine and especially as the only one around at the time," once more Alexander had to wonder why the Marines were absent from such scene despite the fact that there was so much rubble from the Marine Base around him, but he decided that didn't matter at this point. "As the only Marine around it is my sacred duty to place you under arrest for impersonating a Marine officer and the killing of an individua-woah!" Alexander let out a surprised gasp as Seth's already large body began to slowly expand.

His muscles began to bloat like balloons until they became incredible in size. It wasn't just like they filled up with air though, no, they remained solid and hard muscles. Even though Seth was technically only half a foot taller than him, Alexander felt like the difference was much, much greater after his muscles grew. It was questionable about which one was heavier as well, despite Alexander's iron body, Seth was just that big in comparison to his old body.

"What were you going to say?" asked Seth. Alexander wasn't quite sure if it was due to the change in his size, or if he was just imagining it, but Seth's baritone of a voice seemed to have become even deeper. "You know what I just remembered. Me and Satoshi got hired to kill you, I guess that even though Satoshi died I should still be able to collect that money, right?"

"Well, uh, I suppose so," muttered Alexander, unsure of why he did it, it just kind of flowed out of him. Seth smiled and brought his fist up and into Alexander's chin, knocking him up and into the air as well as blowing him backwards.

"I thought so."

* * *

><p>Wait…Satoshi's dead, Rina, Specter, and Reggie may have all died, all those Marines got shot by Dan Colt…oh, and Alexander is currently getting his ass whooped! Who the hell is going to be alive by the end of this arc?<p>

Also, I am getting really excited about this story. Not only are the next few chapters pretty good fight scenes (in my opinion), but the next arc (yes, I have already started writing the next arc) is going to be freakin' awesome (once more in my opinion). Iron Hammer is heating up!

P.S. I'm starting to feel a little bit ill. I don't know how that's going to affect my upload rate, but I just wanted to warn you.


	61. Chapter 61 An Iron Will

**An Iron Will Versus Monster Strength!**

"**Bulk Punch!"** shouted Seth as he delivered one heavy-handed fist to Alexander's gut, sending him back once more. Even with his iron skin, Seth's punches were still being delivered perfectly. He felt the shuddering power that Seth possessed and was being blown away by it. Not many humans were capable of delivering such punches and Alexander was seriously impressed with the fact that Seth was. He supposed a large chunk of that had to be handed to the fact that he had a Devil Fruit, but still...Seth was seriously strong and shouldn't be looked down upon.

Alexander struggled to his feet, but he was immediately knocked down again with a fast side kick to his abdomen once more knocking him down. It wasn't just power...it was speed as well! He could go from a normal stance to a kick like that in zero seconds and Alexander had the sinking feeling that was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to Seth's strengths. It was quite possible that this would be a difficult fight even for someone as skilled and as strong as Alexander. Seth was a monster in every way of the word, Alexander found it hard to believe that he was out here, outside of the Grand Line and just playing around in the outer Blues. Was the Grand Line that much stronger?

Alexander smiled as he jumped back up to his feet. He felt a quick burst of renewed energy at the thought. He didn't much care about fighting strong opponents, he wasn't some battle-junkie pirate, but the idea of proving himself to the higher ups by beating an opponent was definitely good fuel for him. However, the burst of fuel didn't seem to keep him standing long as another fast punch from Seth knocked him back. Alexander quickly got back up onto his feet refusing to stay down for long and this time when Seth charged forward determined to launch another attack, Alexander moved out of the way, dodging to the side.

"**Rapid Bulk Punch!" **declared Seth as a melee of flying fists came at Alexander, each one having its own unique curve and angle, but all of them possessing the same devastatingly strong power. Alexander threw up his guard in front of him and tried to lessen the damage, but Seth's continuous fire of heavy punches proved too much and pushed him back, eventually breaking his guard and separating his tightly woven arms from each other, allowing several of Seth's punches to ring true and knock Alexander back again.

When Alexander regained his footing, Seth was already charging at him. He wasn't about to give Alexander any small amount of respite. He was on top of him almost instantly and without any warning he lashed out with a fast kick that zigzagged through the air and at Alexander's head. Alexander barely ducked in time and he felt the wind swish past his head with enough force to decapitate men. Seth brought his foot back down and stepped forward firing another punch at Alexander, this time Alexander swerved to the side and fired his own punch forward. His punch hit straight on and caused Seth to falter, rather then rush in to continue the assault like Seth had done Alexander backed off and tried to regroup his thoughts.

So far Alexander had come to the steady conclusion that Seth was a little bit stronger than him in terms of sheer brute physical strength and definitely faster then him as well. However, the feedback from his punch told Alexander that Seth had a pretty weak guard, not defense, but guard. Seth managed to rub the punch off and easily remain standing, but the fact was that the punch Alexander landed was pretty easy to get in. More than likely Seth was much more a street-fighter than an actual disciplined fighter. Unlike Alexander had much room to talk as he just used a mostly self-taught style of fighting with some tips and tricks his master had embedded in him.

Alexander stepped forward, firmly planting his foot in the ground and using the continuing forward momentum from his step, rotated around delivering a fast kick with plenty of his own weight behind it. One of the tricks his master had embedded in him. Seth didn't seem all to impressed with the kick and brought up one arm to block it, while he continued to charge through. Alexander didn't let him get too close cause as soon as he close enough Alexander flipped backwards and launched an upwards kick at Seth's jaw. Seth dodged to the side and kept going forward. He didn't waste a moment and fired one of his own punches for Alexander's rib cage. Alexander twisted out of its destructive range.

He quickly got back onto his feet and with a quick step forward, he fired a forward punch for Seth's abdomen. Seth clenched his muscles forming a rock-solid wall with them and reducing the damage from the marine's fist. Then lifting his leg up, Seth brought his knee towards Alexander's chin determined to break it. Alexander swayed backwards avoiding the knee strike and immediately Alexander took some more distance.

"Going to keep running away?" insulted Seth, "I would've thought that a Marine captain would've been a little bit braver then this. Or are all Marines cowards?" Seth stepped forward, once more his muscles bulged up another notch. His strength was akin to that of an elephant now and he intended to stampede all over Alexander with the immense strength. He charged forward, making sure Alexander was aware of his intent. He spun around, sweeping his tree trunk of an arm through the air and for Alexander's neck to land a massive clothesline.

Alexander ducked, bringing his head underneath the massive arm of Seth and then using the perfect opportunity that he was gifted with landed a quick and severely powerful punch to Seth's unguarded side. As big as Seth was it still wasn't enough to reduce the damage from Alexander's punch to nothing. Alexander still felt his fist ring true and into Seth's side, pushing his thick abdomen back father into his ribs. Seth didn't back down from the pain and power instead he spun around and brought his elbow down aiming for Alexander's head.

Alexander panicked and fell down to the ground in order to avoid the powerful elbow. Just as quickly as Alexander had fell, Seth was already preparing another attack. A powerful kick came swinging through the air. Alexander rolled to the side and the powerful kick caught nothing, but air. Alexander flinched as he heard the kick slice through the air. Quickly Alexander swept his leg around, knocking his leg into Seth's legs and knocking him down to the ground. Alexander jumped up and dodged backwards.

Seth slowly raised himself back to his feet, he felt no need to rush. He was strong and sturdy enough to take his time with such simple matters, not to mention Alexander had no desire to rush in haphazardly and risk his life against him. Seth patted the dust that had gathered on him from his fall off. "Another cheap shot?" accused Seth as his eyes settled on Alexander. "Is that the great strength you Marines tout as Justice? Attacking me only when my guard is down? I have true strength, the strength to break through your guard no matter how strong it is! And in this world, the strong will always triumph!"

Seth charged, not even allowing Alexander to think of a comeback to his rather excessive world view. "**Bulk Punch!"** Once more Seth's fist came raging through the air. Alexander brought his arms up to cover and protect his face from the powerful blow. Alexander felt the attack hit home and push him back, but he stood strong and didn't let his guard break. "**Bulk Kick!" **Seth planted one foot down into the ground and used it to pivot the rest of his body around with a powerful sweeping kick for Alexander's gut. Alexander couldn't bring his guard down in time and was faced with having Seth's thick leg smash into his unguarded abdomen. Seth took another step forward, but rather than firing a punch he wrapped his arms around Alexander's body. **"Bulk Slam!" **Seth fell forward, bringing his entire body down onto Alexander and forced Alexander down into the ground beneath him, in a body slam-like fashion.

Seth smirked as he stood up. Their combined weight made an imprint in the ground where Alexander had landed. Alexander looked worse for the wear being sandwiched in between Seth's massive body and the ground. For the first time blood was spilling from Alexander's mouth due to the intensive injuries. Alexander was gasping for breath, Seth's slam had compressed his lungs and he was having a hard time getting some air into them now that they had been nearly flattened. Somehow not only did he manage to fill them up with air again, he actually managed to stand up. Maybe he was dumb like Satoshi had implied...

Seth chuckled. He didn't know if he was surprised or not. He had managed to land several clean blows on Alexander and the last one was intended to finish it, but it did not. However, Seth was far from surprised. He knew Alexander wasn't cut of the same cloth as most Marines were and had been sort of expecting him to rebel and manage to stand again, but...he didn't think any real human could do it, especially as quickly as Alexander did.

Alexander's vision was blurry and his breath was still short. He was thankful for both his Devil Fruit power as well as his training that had been pounded into him with even more force than Seth's Bulk Slam. Alexander admitted it for the first time since he became a Marine, he was slightly arrogant. While in most fights with Marine cadets he beat them fairly easily, sometimes without even having to enter his hybrid form...even Emyre, an elite assassin, fell to him without much trouble. However, now after fighting Edward and Seth he realized that he was truly stupid.

Devil Fruits. They were powerful little things, he had won all of his fights so far due to his own Devil Fruit...it was seriously strong giving him an iron body, which was more than most people could handle, but the two times he fought against someone else with a Devil Fruit he had a hell of a lot of trouble. And neither of them were particularly strong. Edward had a weak body with no real muscles and Seth was all muscles and no skill. His attacks were all straight forward and relied on his overwhelming strength and stamina, rather than delicately skilled techniques. If a Devil Fruit could turn these two people into powerful fighting forces, what could they do to someone who was already strong?

"You wanna call it quits? Run away and get more help from one of your allies?" asked Seth as he stretched his arm and prepared for another round. Alexander's response was a charge. Seth was slightly caught off guard by Alexander initiating the attack, but he didn't mind...it would all end with his victory anyways. "**Bulk Punch!" **Seth brought his large fist flying at Alexander. Alexander stopped his charge and once more did something that Seth wasn't quite expecting.

"**Ferric Fist!**" Alexander swung his own arm out and fired his own punch. Seth was surprised by it, but not worried about it. Seth had already noticed he was faster than Alexander, plus he had a bigger range, he would hit first and he would be the only to hit. Ordinarily this would be true, but Alexander wasn't your ordinary fighter. Alexander rotated his fist around and rather than aiming at Seth's body or head, he aimed for the closest body part. Seth's fist. The two fists clashed in the air and damage was completely dealt out between their two bodies. Seth truly recoiled for the first time in the fight. His fist was throbbing with pain.

The damage they each took was equal as both of their forward movements clashed and met each other, sending both their opponent's power as well as their own at them, but Alexander was better off than Seth was. Not only was Alexander's iron body sturdier than any human body could ever be, but Alexander's skill also made a notable difference. His stance right before the impact was designed to absorb some of the damage to his legs and spread it out rather than concentrating it strictly to his arms like Seth. However, despite these two differences that made it easier for Alexander to absorb the blow, Seth was already firing his second punch.

* * *

><p>Well, guys...this may just be the very last Iron Hammer Chapter...you know because the world is going to end in six days. If it doesn't end, you'll get to see the riveting conclusion to Alexander versus Seth next time!<p> 


	62. Chapter 62 The Beating Continues

**The Beating Continues**

Seth fired a quick and yet powerful forward punch for Alexander's head. Alexander jumped backwards, desperate to avoid the punch. He managed to have the fist cut into the air above him instead. He took a deep breath as he skidded back. His eyes locked onto Seth. Seth rapid spun his arm around in the air. His fist was still throbbing from when Alexander's punch met his. He didn't expect such an incredible backlash. He had to give the punk some credit for the tactic. He'd just have to see about getting another hit on him.

Seth wasn't about to waste a single second and rushed him. His hand was still sore, but he knew that Alexander's hand had to be hurting as well; it may have been broken. Seth fired a quick jab without his full power behind it, but he was sure it would be enough to push Alexander back. Alexander tightened his guard and took the blow. He remained in his spot; his guard was tougher than most people's. He had a pair of very solid and strong arms. Seth didn't stop; he unleashed a quick series of a continuous chain of punches all of them smashed into Alexander's guard.

Alexander was gritting his teeth and baring the continuous barrage of attacks. His arms were starting to bruise and weaken, he couldn't keep up blocking all of these, eventually one would break through and when it did he would be in for big trouble. Only problem was he definitely didn't want to risk taking one to the face. Seth put a lot more force into his next punch, leaning forward and taking a wide swing, focusing all of his strength into it. Alexander's two arms were pushed open and his entire body was revealed. Seth didn't stop for a second, he stepped forward swinging his foot up and smashing it into Alexander's gut. Alexander was knocked into the air, but that didn't make Seth stop. Stepping forward and smashing his elbow downwards for Alexander's back.

Alexander collapsed onto the ground. The man's strength just created too wide of a gap to overpower. He possessed an insane amount of superhuman strength, Alexander didn't think he possessed anything beyond that, but with that amount of strength it was possible for him to ignore his shortcoming. Alexander was trying to keep his guard up, but after a series of fast and yet still very powerful punches from Seth it would be cracked open and Seth was fast enough to take advantage of any opening, no matter how quickly Alexander recovered from the attack.

Seth charged forward, insisting on not giving Alexander a moment to rest. He grabbed a hold of him and hefted him into the air and then with a small spin tossed him into the air. Alexander tried to regain some senses, but couldn't in midair. As he was falling he was quickly met with a jumping knee from Seth. Alexander was tossed to the ground and his head was spinning as he tried to recover from the heavy drop.

"Oww," moaned Alexander as he once again stumbled onto his own two feet. "You are definitely not holding back, are you?" Seth's only response was another quick, but powerful short punch aimed for Alexander's head. Alexander rolled back to avoid it. "Wow, almost took my head off there. Can't you cut a guy any slack?"

Seth grunted as he lifted one of his legs into the air and then twisted it around in the air. He fired a quick downwards diagonal kick for Alexander's head. Alexander tried to block it, but as soon as the leg hit his guard it was blown away. Alexander guessed there was some truth to the idea that a person's leg strength was three times that of their arms. He could tell that it was probably true from Seth's most recent strike.

Before Seth could fire another punch to try and take off Alexander's head, he ducked down and went beneath Seth's arms. Despite taller people having longer reach and generally more power, smaller people had their own advantage. From their vantage point their opponent's chin is in the perfect spot to launch a punch. Alexander rotated his body and fired an upwards straight punch for Seth's chin. Seth clenched his teeth moments before the punch landed, tightening his guard and absorbing the disastrous power behind Alexander's strike. Nonetheless Alexander's power was nothing to sneeze and managed to lift Seth off of the ground. While Seth was knocked into the air, he rotated around and landed a quick elbow into Alexander's head.

Alexander blinked, trying to clear his head after the powerful forward punch, but it was still spinning, and he just couldn't focus. "Crap, crap…crap." He saw Seth re-steady himself out of the corner of his eye. "Let's take five. Our superiors may not be happy about it, but I think we deserve it," said Alexander looking over at Seth. Seth pulled his arm back and readied another punch. Seth let it fly, zooming across the air and at Alexander.

Alexander ducked beneath it once more and tried to move in and repeat his previous actions, but Seth saw it coming this time. He lifted his knee upwards smashing it into Alexander's gut. Alexander's eyes went wide as he was lifted up, however, as a more of a reflex than anything else he panicked and brought his two fists together on each side of Seth's knee. Seth let out a monstrous roar as he bucked back.

Seth grunted as he timidly placed his leg onto the ground. His body was slowly taking a pounding in this fight. He took that weird counter punch to his fist and now his leg was smashed between Alexander's iron mace-like hands. Those were two blows he took and both of them were definitely slowing him down. He couldn't quite throw out his right fist as much as he wanted, the same may be said for Alexander, but for some reason he doubted. Now any amount of pressure of his leg, whenever he took a step he felt his leg tighten up and snap. He couldn't run or even get a full step-in anymore.

Alexander was in fairly bad shape as well. His fist was better than Seth, but he had taken a lot more actual damage. His lungs were still damaged from the body slam he dealt. Not to mention the recent kick to his gut had forced the air out of his lungs. He was taking a beating; he could imagine the trouble he would have from his fellow Marines when they got the news that he was having trouble with such a run-of-the-mill pirate. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve.

"**Damascus Kick!" **Alexander lifted his leg up higher into the air and then quickly brought it straight down in a simple axe kick. Seth brought his arms up to block it, Alexander's quick and heavy blow to his arms slammed into him forcing him down into the ground. Seth grunted as the kick slammed into injured arm, not only that, but the force was transferred downwards and into his injured leg. Alexander's strength was only second-rate so it was obvious he had resorted to less favorable options, like pushing any and all of Seth's weak spots.

However, Seth wasn't about to let Alexander take advantage of the fight in such an underhanded way. He brought his hands clasping back and onto Alexander's outstretched leg. Alexander flipped backwards, bracing his body with his hand and then brought his other leg upwards and aimed it for Seth's chin. Seth wasn't about to allow Alexander to get a second hit in on him, especially not in the same location again. He twisted around and tossed Alexander, throwing his leg to the side. Alexander slammed into one of the geyser elevators, knocking it, and any supports it had, down.

Alexander paused as he stumbled up to his feet, no matter how tough you are being thrown by a gorilla into a metal wall hurt like hell. Seth jumped up and was almost immediately on top of him. He placed his knees on top of Alexander's arms, holding them down and then using his free hands he brought them down upon Alexander in a rain of punishment, rapid punches in a nonstop fashion. Alexander struggled to break free, but he couldn't. Seth was too heavy and too strong to break out of the heavy hold of the monster.

Alexander smirked as a new idea found its way into his head. He shrunk. His arms broke out of Seth's hold and receded into his body. His body curled up and returned to its small spherical shape, his legs joined together to form the handle. He was back to the original and very small blue iron mace, but he was out of Seth's stupid mounting hold. Seth paused for an extended period, he was simply surprised. He never saw a human being become an inanimate object before. He had seen plenty of weird things, but this…this took the cake.

Sadly, Alexander didn't share the shock. He transformed back and launched a punch at Seth, knocking him back and off of him. Seth stumbled back, he was too shocked at the transformation to put up a proper guard and now he had been met with a blow to his chin. He tried to move it, but it hurt with even the simplest of actions. It was probably broken. He turned around to face Alexander and finish him off, but Alexander apparently had the same idea. He charged at Seth and brought a swinging elbow into the side of poor Seth's head. Seth spun away, tripping over his own two feet.

"You're not getting away!" shouted Alexander charging in at full speed at Seth. He planted his heel in the ground and pivoted around, swinging his other foot around and brought it smashing into Seth's face. Seth was sent spinning around from the momentum, still unstable on his own two feet. Alexander still wasn't about to hold out, he ducked down and charged even further. He turned around and brought his shoulder forward, slamming it into Seth's unguarded rib cage.

Seth's face was torn into a grimace as he could swear a rib or two was probably snapped in two. He turned and faced Alexander, bringing his elbow swinging down and into Alexander's back, wrenching themselves free from each other. They both were tired and injured, both of them would've been fine with stopping and resting, getting a short respite, but neither of them was going to be the first to stop. They were going to keep going until the other person was incapable of moving.

"**Rapid Bulk Punch!" **Seth sent a series of quick punches flying at Alexander's head. The Marine wasn't going to back down, not now. He lowered his head and went forward, bobbing and weaving through the flurry of fists. He kept trudging forward, he went through it. Taking the punches in strides without showing the slightest sign of his injuries. He moved through them until he and Seth were face-to-face.

"**Twin Mallets!"** Alexander swung both of his fists forward and for Seth's chest and head. Seth brought his two hands in lightning quick, he used caught both of the human mace's punches in each hand. He didn't let go, tightening his hands around Alexander's hands. Seth brought his knee spiking upwards and into Alexander's gut, throwing him up into the air. Then releasing one of Alexander's hands he brought his hand in, chopping inwards and at Alexander's neck. Alexander's eyes went wide as he felt the hit crush his neck.

Alexander stumbled as far back as he could, but Seth's other hand remained clamped onto his fist. Seth than stepped forward and fired another punch. Alexander ignored the pain and charged forward, ducking beneath the punch and ramming his head into Seth's chest. Seth let out a gasp and accidentally loosened his grip on Alexander. This was all the help he needed. He didn't stop. He brought his fist out and fired a quick punch at Seth's head. The hard metal smashing into Seth's skull, knocking him even further back.

Alexander twisted his body around, bringing his leg up and into the air. He had all intents to bring it smashing down onto Seth's neck, but before he could bring his foot down, Seth stood up catching Alexander's leg and moving forward. The pirate gave an evil smirk as he brought his other hand forward and fired a quick medley of punches into Alexander's guts and blew him back.

"I thought this would be a good fight," said Seth as he cracked his knuckles watching Alexander stand back up onto his feet. Seth could tell from the look in Alexander's eyes that this fight definitely wasn't over yet.

* * *

><p>My fights have grown longer…I think too long at times. I'll try to wrap this thing up next chapter, no doubt though this arc is almost OVER! I bet you all have been wondering about Rina, Specter, and Reggie, haven't you?<p> 


	63. Chapter 63 The Punch That Ended It

**The Punch That Ended It**

Seth recognized those eyes of Alexander from the numerous other battles he had fought. Those were the kind of eyes people had when their bodies could collapse at any second, but they didn't. Not through some cheesy miracle or because an extraneous amount of training, but because their spirit or will wouldn't allow them to be finished off here. They were destined for something else and if they fell here…no, they were determined not to fall here. Not just to Seth, but to anyone. They refused to allow their weakened bodies even the slightest respite.

But Seth had crushed numerous of them in the past. He had brought them under his heels, put them into their graves and cracked their skulls. He didn't care about killing them; it was just his goal to prove he was the strongest. He was on the path for the strongest in the world, he definitely wasn't about to allow Alexander stop him. Heh…he guessed his spirit was just like theirs…his body was just as close to collapse as Alexander's…now it only mattered which one of their spirits would break first.

Seth decided it was time to test that idea. He charged like a bull that had seen red. His entire hulking mass came crashing for Alexander. It was apparent that Alexander wasn't going to be pushed back again. He charged in on his volition. The two men met in the middle of the battlefield, a loud clashing sound was heard was flurries of punches were exchanged. Neither man had the idea of guarding any more. They both became consumed with the thought of attack.

A quick exchange of lefts to both of their chins, a return with their rights to each other's guts, a side kick followed with an axe kick. Their moves perfectly in sync with each other's like they had practiced this fight several times in their lives. And that wasn't entirely incorrect. At this point, this could be either of their final battles. If Seth lost, he'd go to jail for the rest of his life. If Alexander lost, he could be killed. This fight was an accumulation of everything they had learned throughout their lives. Another clashing of fists with faces, sent them spiraling away from each other.

Seth had blood, leaking on his face and creeping down the side. He wiped it clear with his fist and shook it clean. It was just another day in his life. Alexander hardened exterior had prevented any visible wounds, but his innards had taken a beating. They felt swollen and inflated in his normal-sized body. Oh, well, he had worse things in store for him. He still had the Grand Line to look forward to and all of those wounds.

Once more Seth burst from the gate with another surge of adrenaline pumping through him and spurring him on. Alexander didn't charge, instead he fired a single punch aiming for Seth's face when he got close enough. Seth smirked, swung his head to the side and avoided the punch, but he didn't stop, he kept his charge going until he was face-to-face with the good ol' Marine again. He swung his massive arm forward, clipping Alexander's neck and dragging him to the ground.

Or he should've. Alexander slammed his feet into the ground and refused to be unplanted. He remained on his two feet even as Seth swept over him. Alexander's neck now had a roaring pain, but if he got knocked down, he didn't know if he could get back up. Seth seemed to sense this with his tremendous battle experience and animal-like instincts. He rushed forward for Alexander. Alexander swung his leg around, sweeping it around in a nearly impossible arc and smashing his leg into Seth's face. Seth gritted his teeth and bared it, but he wasn't prepared for the next attack. Alexander fired a punch. The punch rang true into Seth's face, his head jolted back, but his feet remained firmly planted in front of Alexander. If Alexander wouldn't back off, neither would he.

Another absolutely ferocious hitting match erupted. Their fists flew forward with a new found ferocity. The metal fist found its way into Seth's fleshy cheek. Another volley of quick, yet powerful punches found their way into Alexander's gut. Elbows were thrown, finding their way to their opponent's sides. Knee erupted, smashing into their chins and shins. It was a monstrous fight that the two were partaking in, neither side willing to back down or be the first to separate from the barrage.

It happened so suddenly, neither side quite realized. Alexander fist cracked into Seth's chin, stunting his blows temporarily. However, this didn't seem to spark any empathy from Alexander as his punches kept coming. They found their way and crashed into Seth's skull, rib cage, diaphragm, anywhere they could find a chunk of flesh. They never stopped, they kept coming. Seth collapsed to the ground, but Alexander didn't stop. His vision blinded and his only thought was on to keep punching. He didn't even realize Seth had fallen. He just trudged forward, firing one punch after another. It didn't seem like he would ever stop, just keep walking and punching.

Alexander's punches stopped, he collapsed. His entire body exhausted. The punches had taken the last little bit of his stamina out of him. As he went down, he noticed that Seth was gone. He turned around and saw Seth lying down on the ground behind him. He had fallen all the way back there. He smiled for a second, he won…a tough battle and he was the victor. He was sure if he had the strength he would raise his arms above his head with content…or at least stay awake. He blacked out.

(-a few hours a later-)

Alexander was shocked awake. He stood up, the memories of his last fight came flowing back to him and he immediately fired a punch out smashing his fist into the nearest wall on reflex. He took a deep breath and tried to calm back down. The fight was over, he remembered it. He remembered Seth laying on the ground behind him. He won; Seth would be going to jail.

…jail? Alexander paused and looked out towards the hall. Several black bars separated him from it. He couldn't possibly be in jail could he? No, he was a Marine. Marines don't go to jail; pirates like Seth went to jail. Not him. Crap! Did the Marines really not know any better? Did they still think he was faking it! Did they still think he was a pirate trying to steal his own identity? He liked to think they were smarter than that.

Alexander grasped the iron bars and shook them furiously. "Let me out! I'm innocent! I am truly Captain Alexander!" he shouted as he continued to vibrate the bars. Then he noticed something, the door wasn't locked…he swung the door open and walked out. He really wanted to give the Marines here more credit, but first they lock him up like some criminal and then they forget to lock the actual prison? They definitely didn't deserve any praise from him.

"Alexander!" shouted Dante waving and walking up to him. Alexander was bit taken back by his friendly attitude towards him; he didn't think they were anything close to friends. He would barely consider him a comrade and that was IF Dante thought he was on his side and not some stupid pirates. Maybe now would be an ideal time to punch him? "I apologize for these…unsuitable accommodations. You probably saw that the bottom of the Marine Base was blown up, yes? Well, that was both where the interrogation room and sleeping chambers were, along with the new prison."

"New prison?" asked Alexander, surprised to hear those words. The last Marine Base was so under-funded Alexander doubted it even had an old prison. "Wait, how did you know I wasn't a pirate?"

"How did I know or how did those halfwits up stairs finally figure it out?" Dante pointed out. "I always had an inkling and after a few minutes with your partners I put it together. It was all rather obvious, but I guess it was because I hung out with you and even went out for a few drinks with you. I was always on your side." It was a fairly obvious lie for most people to point out, but either due to the recent damage or just Alexander being slow, he didn't notice and chose to believe Dante. "The halfwits put it together after we arrested you and threw you in jail…Veri Fresh called us over the Den-Den Mushi and cleared this whole thing up. He apologizes for taking so long, he has work too."

Alexander was fairly surprised by that statement. He never imagined Veri Fresh actually ever doing any real work. Whenever Alexander saw Veri Fresh he was just pretending to work or issuing out orders when his daughter was busy with other things. He finally remembered the next important thing about this mission, "what about Seth and Satoshi?"

"Satoshi was killed," responded Dante, with a slight sadness to his voice, probably upset he didn't get to torture him first. "Whoever killed him did a good job on him, was it you?" Alexander looked offended by that statement and shook his head. "And Seth woke up three hours ago. We had already talked to Veri Fresh by that time, so he woke up to seven very nice officers with seastone handcuffs…he took out three of them before the other four managed to pin him down."

Alexander was surprised at Seth's vitality to get up and take down three Marine officers, his shoulder still hurt from the pounding. There was just one problem with Dante's story that Alexander couldn't agree with, "Three hours!" exclaimed Alexander. "If he was asleep for three hours and has already woken up AND he managed to take out three Marines how long have I been out for?"

"You?" asked Dante, "well, the miraculous thing is you were also supposed to be out for three days. You sustained major internal injuries, but you woke up in just less than six hours! Amazing, very few men have the same recovery rate as you two." Alexander tried to feel a little excitement in that, but he just kept thinking about how Seth woke up twice as fast as he did. It felt like he had a lost another battle between the two of them.

"So Seth's going to jail," said Alexander sitting back down in the dinghy cell and leaning against the cold cement wall. He allowed himself a small smile at the thought that another pirate was getting taken off of the seas. He wasn't too proud about Satoshi's death, but he'd take it over letting him walk free any day.

"Yeah, another one is going to jail. Too bad we don't need any Intel from him," complained Dante, stroking his chin in thought. Thinking about how he would go about getting it out of him, finally he sighed and turned to Alexander, "I gotta say, though, I'm a little surprised you are worrying about Seth though, I mean considering what happened to your crew. I thought that'd be the first question out of your mouth."

"Eh, I trust my crew; I don't think being thrown into jail would really throw them off. They are a trustworthy and sturdy bunch." He knew Rina had been through worse, hell, she was with Hayate day in and day out, and she had to be a strong person to be to handle that little demon. Specter had been blown up quite a few times due to his 'accidents' in his lab. And that was it. His crew…one young lady, her demon dog, and guy who blew himself up. Not the crew that would normally inspire confidence from their captain and yet…they did. He trusted them completely without a single drop of doubt.

"Jail? No, the new jail, the one they were in…along with MY interrogation room," said Dante, although he muttered those lost few words. "They didn't mind being locked up in jail, they weren't too fond of being locked up with Pura Pupuran though, who was killed…we believe. Her body was burnt, but we were able to identify her through scientific mumbo-jumbo."

"Get on to the problems with my crew," 'encouraged' Alexander. He had almost forgotten that before all these traumatic problems, he hadn't like Dante. The guy still seemed slightly stuck-up and he didn't seem too particularly on the same train of thought.

"Riiiggghhhtttt them," moaned Dante. "As I mentioned, they were in the new jail right next to the interrogation room, you see this is the problem. It got blown up." Dante waited a few seconds for the reality to sink in.

"My…my crew…" stumbled Alexander as he slowly pieced the problem together, "my crew got blown up?"

* * *

><p>I feel at this point anything I say would just ruin the drama...<p>

So...I should still mention the fact that I am working on my own personal manga. Drawing, writing will all be done by me. I will continue to write my fanfictions so no worries. Ask if you want the details.


	64. Chapter 64 The Realization

**The Realization**

Alexander stretched back; he fell to the ground, missing the dirty bench by mere inches. He tried to stay calm as the thoughts came rushing back into his brain. The last few minutes replayed themselves; these past days came washing back into him. They were impersonated, imprisoned, and killed. No…his crew was. He was safe. He had to fight a monster, but he got away scot-free, didn't he? He got away with all of his body parts attached, his soul still attached. They all died…except for Hayate. Hayate was still alive, although he was missing from this cell at this moment.

"This better be a goddamn joke!" shouted Alexander rushing to his feet, pressing his elbow forward and into Dante's throat and lifting him off of the ground. Alexander slammed Dante into the wall, his arm transformed back into its metal form. He pressed the cold iron against Dante's throat. Dante gasped for breath, he couldn't speak due to the heavy arm against his neck. "You better be goddamn lying to me! This better be your idea of a sick, twisted joke!"

"Guards," gasped out Dante as quickly as he could. The man's strength was like an elephant. Dante originally found Alexander to be an object of interest, some form of an enigma when the background checks he ran on him came up rather blank. But now he was starting to fear him, before he knew that he was strong, but he always trusted him to pull back this time, there was no sense of any form of restraint.

Several guards rushed in. They came rushing up, several of them tackled Alexander taking him down and holding him down against the ground. Alexander didn't really resist. He didn't fight back; he didn't feel the need to. He didn't feel the need to do anything really. Several deaths, all of them were his fault today. He didn't quite notice the sedative being slipped into his neck, he just blacked out.

(-A few hours later-)

Alexander stirred. He sat up and looked around, a horrible sense of déjà vu came over him as he recognized it as the same jail cell as before. He knew it wasn't a nightmare; he was strangely devoid of dreams. Veri Fresh stated that it was probably just a side-effect of the Homunculus project…no nightmares, just horrible real life.

Alexander stood up and without thinking, he punched the wall as hard as he could. He left a nice-sized imprint along with cracks running up alongside the wall. He shook his hand; he hadn't transformed his fist back to its iron form, so now he had a throbbing human fist. He still hadn't calmed down though. He used his other hand this time, slamming it into the wall cracking it again. If he was ever really locked up, he could probably easily escape. The walls in here were thinner than they should be and only made out of rock. It would be a simple action for him to break out…Why the hell was he thinking about that now? Alexander turned around and slammed his fist into the iron bar, it bent underneath his force. They actually locked it this time.

"He's up," said one of the guards standing next to the cell. Alexander turned over and saw him, he stood besides the cell, and he didn't dare look in at the insane and inhuman man standing in there. Alexander puffed out his chest and climbed back onto the thin bench.

Alexander muttered some random nonsense as he buried his head into his hands. He tried to fight back the sense of horror, but this was the first time he ever lost any of his crew members or allies. He was alone for the majority of his time, Rina was his first partner and she died. The only other Marine he had a long standing relationship with was Veri Fresh…and the last thing he wanted was to think of that guy as his best and only friend.

"Never imagined a Marine like you would be having a pity party like this," said Dante as he came back to visit him. Alexander heard the shoes stop just outside the cell. There were a few more clacks of other shoes following after that. Strange, one of the men he couldn't stand kept coming back and trying to keep him company.

"I'm a Marine Captain," muttered Alexander as he stood up, keeping his back to the cell. He swung his fist forward and buried it into the cement wall. "And I just lost my entire crew in one day; I think I'm allowed a pity party."

"Sure, you are, but I think you might want some company," said Dante. The sound of the lock being undone could be heard and then door slid open. Several loud stomps could be heard; soon somebody wrapped their arms around Alexander's shoulders.

"I understand that you can be a little dense at times, but did you really think I died?" said the feminine voice. Alexander swerved around to see Rina, Specter, and Reggie standing there before him. "We are the crew of the THE captain Alexander. Don't sell us too short now."

"You're alive!" shouted Alexander jumping up and grabbing a hold of Rina, giving a large hug. "SO ARE YOU!" he shouted as he waddled over and grabbed a hold of Specter, "AND YOU!" he continued wrapping Reggie as well into a massive group hug.

"Hey, hey, hey," said Reggie struggling out of Alexander's group hug and onto her own two feet, "I'm not a fan of being smothered." She walked away and took her distance from the group.

"Hey!" shouted Specter as he too eventually wormed his way out of the group hug, "Guess what?!" Alexander stopped and turned to face him, however, he still did not let up with the tight hug on Rina, who was still struggling to free herself from the vice-like grip. "We caught a group of pirates, cleared our names, and we are still alive! I think this qualifies as a reason to celebrate our first completed mission as a crew!"

Alexander paused as he tried to consider this theory. He supposed their previous missions had both been failures. On Ghorl and Boyd they failed to protect the royal son and he was assassinated, then on Specter's island Edward managed to steal and eat the Devil Fruit…so…they had an astounding 33% success rate? "Wait a second, wasn't our mission to interrogate Pura Pupuran and that failed since she was killed as well, right? So we can't celebrate, can we?" A 0% success rate…amazing!

"WE ARE PARTYING ANYWAYS!" shouted Specter as he wrapped his arm around Alexander's neck and pointed to the door. "There'll be alcohol and women! We don't need a reason to celebrate! We'll celebrate the fact that we can celebrate! What better reason do we need?" Specter turned to Reggie, "point me in the direction to your liquor cabinet!"

"You trashed my family's bar, remember?" pointed out Reggie. It was ruined when the Marines tried to arrest Alexander and the rest of the crew, "the other bar is still open, but that's on the floor below us. We can head out and get there soon enough."

"Lead the way! And order me a steak when we get there!" shouted Specter with a tone of excitement only kids should ever have. "Let's go! We won our first major battle! Pirates, assassins, and betrayal, this is what Marine life is." Specter let out a loud bellied laugh.

Alexander laughed and looked up at Rina, who was still tightly embraced in a monstrous hug. "Can you put me down, now?" asked Rina looking down at him. Alexander laughed and set her down on the floor. "Thanks…so, how was it? Thinking that we were all dead?"

"Not that great," stated Alexander as he continued out after Specter, "I'd hate to find another group of trustworthy Marines again. It seems there is a shortage of them."

"A crew?" stated Rina scratching a head for a few seconds before shrugging. "I guess that's it. Just a crew? Workmate? Accomplices? A few hours of your life gone to waste till you find some people to replace us?"

Alexander cringed as he heard the tone of voice, he had learned to dread. "More than just a crew. I consider you guys close friends. People I'd trust my life to and all that."

"That's the answer I was looking for," said Rina stretching her arms up and into the air, pleased with herself for dragging those words out of him. "Remember that. We trust our lives to you as well, so don't let us down." She fired a weak punch into his arm and then smiled. "Time for Saké!" she said as she rushed forward to catch back up to Specter and Reggie.

The party went on for awhile. The Marines of the island were quite accommodating as apologies for their rather foolish belief in the pirates. Some of them were stuck working, not only cleaning up the rubble, but cleaning up after Dan Colt's little mess. Alexander told them about his description, whether or not they took the idea of a man in a smiley face mask murdering their colleagues seriously or not was questionable, but they promised to look into it. Alexander didn't hand them the vivre card for some reason. He supposed it was because technically he saved him, returning the favor or something, but he didn't throw it away. He kept it stashed in his coat pocket.

The party was growing heated, Rina had drunk quite a few cups of saké…possibly bottles. Specter was recounting stories of his past, trying to keep the party alive for another few hours and he was succeeding quite well. The Marines were either too plastered to tell the lies apart from the truth or they just didn't care. Alexander didn't care, he just walked out into the open air and breathed deeply. Cigarette smoke had filled the bar, but even without that horrible scent in the air there was still a strong scent of vomit and beer.

Alexander had asked the crew how they survived the explosion, according to Specter it was through the power of friendship and other crap. Rina explained more eloquently that the Marines at the Marine Base are a lot more capable than they seem. They used a second smaller bomb to cut down on the force of the first alongside some heavy iron chains to give them something to hold onto where they could pull them up and save them. They always had a worry that the Marine Base would fall apart and why wouldn't they? The base was elevated a couple stories up in the air, it had to have some structural problems. It was amazing that it hadn't fallen apart before.

"Looks like the hero wants some time alone, didn't get enough of that when you thought your crew was dead?" asked Jack, Reggie's brother, as he walked up next to him. "Not a big fan of partying?"

"I just like breathing," responded Alexander as he took in another deep breath. "What about you? Is the beer magically serving itself to all those drunken guys…and Rina."

Jack let out a light laugh, "no, Reggie's manning the bar. She always tries to help me out whenever she is about to do something I might not be proud of. She did it when she had her first boyfriend, she failed any tests, and she even did it when she joined the Marines. Thought I wouldn't approve of her following our father's footprints…so, what are you going to tell her?"

"Huh?" asked Alexander, completely surprised by the turn of the conversation. "I…uh, suppose…I'll tell her…I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm going to say. What am I going to be responding too?"

Jack laughed again, "I think it is fairly obvious at this point. I guess you are just one of those guys that need things to be explained…that explains a fair bit actually. I think she wants to join your crew." Jack smiled and took a sip of alcohol. "So I ask you again, 'what are you going to tell her'?"

"Yes!" shouted Alexander almost immediately with unequaled excitement. "I would love to have Reggie aboard my ship! She's an incredible chef and Marine alike! I mean, I would be lucky to have her! My crew would be even better with her tagging along."

"You better believe it!" shouted Jack with a heavy pat on Alexander's back, "but remember, she is still my little sister, so if you do anything bad to her, I will kill you." Jack pulled out a rusty shotgun and pointed it at Alexander's head.

"As her captain, if I do anything bad to her I'll do it myself." Alexander turned back around and looked into the bar through the small doors. His scanned the room, stopping briefly on each member of his crew. A navigator, a sniper, and a chef. A small yet capable crew. His small yet capable crew.

(-With Veri Fresh-)

"CRAP!" shouted Veri Fresh as he wiped his entire desk clear with one clean swoop of his arm. "This ain't right. I can't believe this is happening now." He pounded loudly on his desk. His daughter was gone, so he had to remain stationed in the Marine Base at all time and now he had just received this news?! This was just horrible luck for him. Nobody in this Blue was capable of handling pirates like this except for him and a few of the Marine captains and most of those had been weeded out to go and help suppress other pirates! Now they received this news! It was a horrible coincidence that should never have happened! "A one in a million chance," swore Veri Fresh as he bent down to pick up the papers he had knocked down.

Disastrous news indeed.

* * *

><p>Angst, than friendship with a hint of a budding romance maybe? Hm, no? Along with an ominous prediction? I think this has the makings of a great chapter!<p>

Also for those of you who asked about Seth...you know, Alexander has kind of a one-track mind. As far as he is concerned he is done with Seth. Now Seth on the hand...yeah, he hates Alexander. Seth had an impressive streak of all-wins going until Alexander stepped in. So, yeah...a one-sided rivalry would be the best way to put it.


	65. Chapter 65 The Devastating News

**The Devastating News!**

Veri Fresh shuffled through the papers again. It wasn't uncommon that these things happen, but most of the time it was something that the Marines could handle. However, their resources were drastically split between the Taka investigation and locating the Goro-Goro no mi, which should be appearing soon. Now they had this news to deal with. He slapped the papers down onto his newly cleaned desk and collapsed into his chair.

The Grand Line was called a Devil's Paradise. It was a location where men go to either live their dreams or die in their nightmares. Veri Fresh let out a heavy sigh as he re-examined the papers he had received. The Grand Line was, of course, too horrible for some pirates to live in and they would flee out to one of the outer blues to either strengthen their crew or just live out the rest of their lives in cowardice. Chef Zeff was the most famous one out all of them, opening up a famous restaurant in the middle of the East Blue after a yearlong trip around the Grand Line, however, they had been others…some less gracious pirates.

This was a group of them. Four disastrously strong pirates each one of them capable of killing a whole squadron of Marines in the blink of an eye and they had. They had sailed out to the Grand Line, fought for about a year there, but they didn't get nearly as far as Chef Zeff did. They weren't as strong as 'Red Legs' was. They may have covered two or three islands before turning tail and sailing back, but now they were here. In his BLUE! Veri Fresh pounded his two fists onto the table again, causing the nearby Marines to jilter.

They knew Veri Fresh was a man with a lot on his plate, but they very rarely saw him panic or throw a tantrum like this one. He was one to wave insults by and smile while he was getting shot at, he wasn't a man easily stirred. They were all greatly intrigued in whatever news it was that Headquarters had sent him that made him like this, but none of them wanted to risk their lives by asking.

Veri Fresh lost it. He placed his hands underneath his desk and flipped it up and into the air with ease. The men standing outside his door skitted away and hid behind the heavy door frame. They knew the reason why Veri Fresh was a Rear Admiral instead of a Vice Admiral wasn't because he wasn't strong enough, no Veri Fresh was stronger than several of the Vice Admirals and he was capable of defeating some of them, including his own daughter. No, the reason why Veri Fresh was denied the promotion was because he couldn't use Haki. After years of training to master it, he couldn't use it at all. It was a weakness that the higher-ups couldn't turn a blind eye to and they had to turn him down whenever he asked.

Veri Fresh bent down once more to retrieve the wanted posters of the four pirates that had intruded on his semi-peaceful West Blue. "MADELINE!" Veri Fresh shouted demanding the ever faithful secretary of the Marine Base.

A lone girl scuttled in as quickly as she could and stood at attention. She was small, probably not even five feet. She had short curly orange hair and her green eyes were hidden behind a pair of thick-rimmed blue glasses. "Ye-ye-yes sir," she stuttered afraid that Veri Fresh was going to unload on her, something that rarely happened. Even his daughter refrained from complaining or yelling at her. "How may I be of…assistance?"

"Get me more tea will you dear, it was absolutely delightful," requested Veri Fresh returning to his usual kind-hearted demeanor in an instant. Madeline nodded and was about scuttle away when she stopped in the doorway and turned around to face Veri Fresh.

"Mister Veri Fresh," she muttered quietly. He nodded giving her the go-ahead. "I want to inform you about the issue with Mister Alexander. The Marine Base got your message and has released him along with the rest of his crew, which by the way a new Marine wishes to join his crew, or so I've been told, so that would bring the total of his crew up to four."

"I'm so happy for that boy! Making friends like all good boys should…do…Did you say the total of his crew was at four?" questioned Veri Fresh taking a quick step forward towards her. She nodded quickly, not wishing to further upset Veri Fresh.

Veri Fresh paused, stepping away from her and thinking about this. Four members of his crew? Four members of the rude, invading pirate crew? A mere coincidence, of course, but wasn't it a mere coincidence that made this problem? All of the larger crews were busy on some other missions or too far away fro Veri Fresh to contact now. There were a few more Marine crews whose size matched up to Alexander's crew, but their power were severely lacking. Sheer luck no doubt, but this time it was sheer luck that was on his side and he couldn't help but find himself growing giddier and giddier by the second.

He wanted to call a larger crew, but they were busy. It appeared that Alexander was the only choice. A mission right off the back of this one. It seemed sudden, but Veri Fresh found himself with his back to a wall. What if he sent smaller crews there? A series of one person or two person crews? They would be overwhelmed the instant their ships met. These pirates weren't ordinary pirates. Even one-on-one fights were dangerous, but if it became a one-on-four fight with his people being the one...it would be a disaster. He needed a semi-large crew capable of handling themselves. Alexander's was just a perfect fit!

"Madeline!" declared Veri Fresh, quickly clapping his hands together to garner attention from both her and the rest of the Marines outside listening. "Please get Alexander on the horn for me. I have his next mission."

(-With Alexander-)

Alexander let out a heavy sigh as he trudged through the Marine Base. He was just about ready to leave when they said he had a call from Veri Fresh, demanding to talk to him this instant. He felt a certain amount of dread; he knew this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation. He could be demoted due to his recent failures at completing any missions…he could be yelled at for the strange path of destruction of Marine Bases that seem to follow him…maybe he was just going to given another mission…none of those quite seemed like a fun thing to be expecting.

Of course, that wasn't the only bad news…Reggie still hadn't asked him to join his crew. The Marine Base was abuzz with the news. Apparently the word was spread at the 'party' last night, but to date the only person who didn't seem to be aware that Reggie was going to ask to join his crew…was Reggie herself. Nonetheless, she had inserted herself into it and was following Alexander, along with Rina and Specter, to his phone call.

The trip there was fairly uneventful, some men tipped their hats and thanked Alexander and the rest for their help. Some of them grunted at them as they carried building supplies down to fix ruined building. Nonetheless it was nothing to write home about. Alexander sighed as he picked up the Den-Den Mushi and answered, "Hello?" He silently prayed that Veri Fresh wouldn't answer.

"Alexander! It is a delight to be talking to you again!" There is no god…

"Yeah," said Alexander encouraging the rest of his crew to sit down and listen in. "I'm here with Rina, Specter, and Reggie…two of which don't know my…er, secret."

"Dude," said Specter patting Alexander back, "don't worry, buddy; I put it together awhile back. And it is cool…I have no problems with gay guys. It explains why you never put the moves on Rina and why you sleep in the soldiers' bunk with me rather than in captain's quarters. However, I'm straight."

"He's not gay," defended Rina, nonchalantly. Specter gave her weird and slightly ashamed look. "That's not ho-how I know, pervert!" Rina punched Specter in the face, knocking him back and across the ground. That was the reason why Alexander never 'put the moves on Rina' and for the reason why Alexaner sleeps in the soldiers' bunk was more due to the fact that Hayate peed in captain's bed on the very first day and declared it 'his bed'.

"You guys done with your little comedy routine," said Veri Fresh with a strange seriousness that surprised both Rina and Alexander. "I actually have something very, very important I wish to discuss with you. As you know sometimes some pirates get chased out of the Grand Line and into another one of the outer seas. Well, a group of very dangerous pirates just did."

"So what?" asked Alexander, "they are weak then. If they couldn't handle the Grand Line then they ran away from it and out into the outer seas."

"THAT'S NOT IT!" shouted Veri Fresh. "These pirates are truly dangerous and are capable of mass killings; the reason why they left the Grand Line wasn't due to a lack of power, but rather due to a lack of manpower. There are only four of them; they couldn't handle the larger groups that exist out there in that nightmarish sea. They fled to this sea in order to build their numbers and I'm afraid that if they do, they could very well be in the running for Pirate King!"

Alexander's ears piqued up at this. These pirates definitely seemed like a surprise. "So," continued Veri Fresh, "I'm giving you and your three crew members the very important assignment to take them out as quickly as possible. I would, but I'm afraid I am restrained to the Marine Base at this moment and can't leave. I trust that you will be able to do it."

"Well…" said Alexander taking his time to respond, "I would love to, but right now…it is only really a crew of three…unless you count Hayate." Alexander leaned back and looked at the crew. Specter and Rina looked kind of surprised as they remembered that Reggie still wasn't a part of the crew. They had been hanging out for such a long time that that small fact kind of slipped their minds.

"Actually, Alexander," said Reggie, clearing her throat with a small cough, "about that…I am joining your crew." The statement was matter-of-fact, it wasn't a question or a request, it was a statement. She WAS joining the crew whether Alexander liked it or not, but, of course, he liked it.

"Well, then Veri Fresh," said Alexander turning around in his chair and back to the Den-Den Mushi, it looks like you got your crew of four to take down these bad guys. Give us their names and location and we'll go smash their skulls in. The rest of the crew nodded in agreement to Alexander's declaration.

"Brilliant!" shouted Veri Fresh. It looks like some problems just solved themselves, of course, after this it would be hard to keep the higher-ups off of Alexander. He would miss being able to boss the poor kid around. "Your opponent's are three of the most cunning, most dangerous pirates possibly to ever come back from the Grand Line, they are-" Veri Fresh's words were cut off at that moment by Rina's insistence on speaking up.

"Um, Veri F-Fresh, sir," stuttered Rina feeling slightly uncomfortable for interrupting the man, but she felt her information was probably a little bit more important at the time. "Sorry for interrupting you by the way…it is j-just that, um…Alexander already left."

"WHAT!?" shouted Veri Fresh raising his voice to new heights. He sat back down and calmed himself down on his end, trying to rationalize Alexander's move, but he finally decided the only thing he could do was shrug and accept it. He couldn't quite blame the poor kid for his rather rash method. "I guess I'll just leave it up to you guys and give you the co-ordinates to give to him."

"Yeah," said Rina, she highly doubted Alexander would need to know the co-ordinates at all anyways. He wouldn't be able to tell North from South for that matter. She was the only one who truly needed to know the co-ordinates as the navigator.

"I do feel the special need to warn you, however, and this goes for any of the other crew members who are still there and listening…these are not your average day run-of-the-mill pirates," said Veri Fresh, "as a matter of fact if you do not feel like you can handle this fight I suggest you run away as fast as you can. There will be no back-up on the island you are going to, so if you fail and lose to one of these guys I can guarantee you there will be no chance of you coming back. They will kill you."

"That's just how I like it," laughed Specter, "high risk gambling. Why don't you promise a nice high payout for when I complete the mission."

"All due respect, sir," replied Reggie, "but I think the pirates are going to be the ones running away."

"And as a Marine I'm not trained to turn tail," continued Rina, "I'm trained to take down pirates."

* * *

><p>Wow...I am like 10 chapters ahead of this one in writing...maybe I'll think about a bonus update for this story. Keyword being 'think'.<p>

Anyways, yes, Veri Fresh is strong. He's not some freak who got promoted due to his awe-inspiring hairdo.

Finally, I have gotten plenty of PMs/reviews asking 'what Blue is this story taking place in?' I have answered it. This story is taking place in the West Blue. Why? Pirate Kings, Luffy and Roger were both born in the East Blue. What's the opposite of East? West. What's the opposite of Pirates? Marines. Hence, this story is taking place in the West Blue.


	66. Chapter 66 A Pirate's Life for Me

**The Pirate's Life For Me!**

There was a loud crash as a single pirate lifted a heavy crate onto his wide shoulders. The pirate was dressed in heavy knight-like armor. A shield with a turtle shell design was strapped to his back and large flat club tied around his waist. He showed little strain as he carried the crate over to their ship. The armor's helmet was basically a big sphere with little slot in front for him to look through, but it hid as well as protected his face from any outside force.

"Genbu, how's the loading going," asked a second pirate. He wore a heavy black cloak that stretched around his ankles; on the inside of the cloak was a soft white fur-like fabric with black stripes stretching across it. The only other thing he wore was a pair of black jean shorts and an eye-patch covering his left eye. He flashed his comrade a toothy smile, revealing rows of teeth that were surgically altered to a point.

The knight hefted the crate on top of the ship and sighed, "everything's going along swimmingly. How about the recruitment search? Found any of these land-lubbers willing and worthy of joining up with us?"

"Nah," said the second pirate leaping from the ship and onto the land. He hefted one of the smaller crates up and carried to the ship. "This island is just full of weaklings; I thought the West Blue was supposed to have stronger pirates. After all, I come from the East Blue, which is said to be full of weaklings! Where's all the strong ones!?"

"Did you honestly expect them to be standing around wearing a sign saying 'Strong Pirate here open for recruitment," laughed another pirates as she sashayed out from below the deck, fluttering a small white fan in front of her face with the design of a purple phoenix etched on it. She was dressed in an elegant red ball gown. The dress was cut at angle with one tip of it cascading to the ground and the other cut barely above the thigh. The fringes of the dress at the shoulder, neck, and bottom were colorful bright red plumes. Her hair was just as extravagant, being one definitive red loop that ended help another small bird feather at the end. "Besides it is my beautiful hometown in the lovely North Blue that is known for breeding the strongest and prettiest pirates, I mean just look at me!"

"Suzaku!" growled the second pirate nearly throwing his crate down to the ground and breaking whatever was inside. "I thought you were out in town still! If you were here you should've helped Genbu carry the crates onboard in the first place!" He had no right to talk either as he had been at the ship for at least an hour before pitching in. Genbu just shrugged, he didn't want to get caught up in another argument between these and things still needed to be loaded.

"Relax, Nyakko," said Suzaku, closing her fan and jabbing it at him. "We still have one guy scouring the island for a strong pirate and this is his home sea. Maybe he'll have more luck then we did. And why should I risk breaking one of my beautiful nails to lift such hideous heavy crates, isn't that what strong men and ugly pussy cats are for?"

"My name's Byakko!" shouted the pirate, stepping forward and lifting his hand almost straight up into her throat. "I'll have no more of this Nyakko crap! I demand respect; I'm the one that first set out in order to build this crew! By that standard I should be captain!" While the title of strongest was still up for grabs in their group as they all knew the truth well none of them would accept defeat before death, the title of first was decidedly his.

"Why would I trust a homely cat to lead me into-" her speech was cut short as a loud uproar was heard from the village behind them. She turned around and saw the small town she was in just a few hours ago go up in a beautiful red flame. "While I appreciate his aesthetic sense, must he burn down every village we go to?"

"He's just blowing off steam," said Byakko, shrugging the thought off and returning to carrying the crates onto the ship. "Hell, I killed at least seven people in this town for giving me dirty looks. They think just cause I'm pirate I'm up to no good." He was completely unaware that he kind-of just proved their point by beating them up just for giving him dirty looks.

"Kill? How unrefined of you," laughed Suzaku as she sat down on the railing and took out a nail file and went to work on her fingers, "you leave bloody messes all around. I am at least gracious enough to let the unpleasant people serve me before I turn them into beautiful works of art that will go down in history! I make sure they make their mark, its the least I could do to thank the world for making me so beautiful!"

Byakko was about to turn around and insult her 'beautiful' works of art when he saw their fourth member returning. Behind him was a bloody corpse, trailing about on the ground. "Hey, Seiryu," he growled at his comrade, angry at him for taking so long, "what you got there?"

"The strongest man in the town," grumbled the newest member as he tossed the lifeless husk in front of him. The 'man' had one arm torn clean off, a chunk of flesh was missing from his side, and his entire body had signs of third degree burns. The crew turned their noses up at it, especially Suzaku whose only remark was 'how ugly'. "I offered the entire town a single option. The strongest human on the island would join us, the rest would die. They decided to go with another option, attack me. They are so incredibly foolish."

Byakko grinned. It was what he would do as well if that situation had arrived, slaughter them the easiest solution to all of life's problems. Suzaku slightly turned her nose up at the corpse as it was an unsightly mess, but she ignored it for the most part. Genbu was the only one still working with at least a little work ethic keeping him going.

Seiryu walked onto the ship's board, his long white coat dragging behind him like a tail. He was dressed a little bit more normal compared to the others, he had on a pair of what would-be white pants if it wasn't for the blood splatter and his long-sleeved white shirt was wrapped around his waist, revealing his impressively built body. He would've worn the shirt, but he wanted to show the men of the island what he was like. It didn't work out like he planned. He took another second to run his long fingers through his icy blue hair before turning around to Genbu, "I'm going to go get a drink of ice tea before I come back out to help."

(-With Alexander-)

"Darn it!" shouted Alexander slamming his fists into the table. "We missed them again!" he shouted loud enough for Rina to hear up on deck. "Another village was razed…it's what they've done to nearly every village they've visited. We need to move faster and catch them before it is too late."

"I've already adjusted our course," shouted Rina back. They could only change their direction; their ship still relied on the wind and current for speed. It wasn't one of those newer steam-powered ships that the Marines had been working on. Luckily, the current and the wind were both with them, but they were both fairly weak. They probably still had a few more days till they got to the supposed next island. She also hoped that they got there before the blasted pirates started to raise a ruckus and kill more people. They were already one village too late...

It wasn't their fault. Even if the winds were behind their backs, she doubted they would've made it on time. They were just the only Marines for miles around that may actually stand a chance against these pirates. Even then Veri Fresh seemed hesitant to send them against these pirates…she wasn't surprised. They were Grand Line pirates, but the Grand Line didn't seem too far away. If they changed course they could get there in a day, maybe two.

The Grand Line certainly had a fearsome reputation, it was referred to as the pirate graveyard and that uncertain feeling stretched over and onto even the marines. Neither side liked walking into the Grand Line, it was as if a massive beast was watching you and waiting to swallow you whole. There was that gut feeling that just made you feel like you could and would die at any moment. Rina had stepped foot in there once before. All Marines had. When you finished with your training they took out for a round trip voyage to one of the earlier islands.

It was their plan to weed out some of the ones with the weaker wills. They wanted to see their expressions when faced with the more difficult challenges. She heard they originally planned to have them visit the New World and watch that…but it turned out horribly for those new recruits. Sitting there and watching the sea randomly burst into flames…it was a horror for those young people.

And there were pirates that had lived in the Grand Line, their aim was to see that horrible sight and conquer it. Not only that but according to Veri Fresh it was quite possible for these pirates to do so. He said that these pirates might be the third coming of the Pirate King. As a Marine no other thought worried her more.

"Food's ready!" shouted Reggie from the kitchen. Rina's thought had been so focused on the impending danger she hadn't even thought about her stomach. It had been awhile since she had eaten anything. She was quite thankful now that they had Reggie, she spent a large chunk of her time cooking meals and for that Rina was incredibly happy. Reggie was a better chef than anyone on the crew and her actual meals beat both of Specter's and Alexander's choices.

Specter was already in the dining room when Rina got there. He was slurping some noodles with not so great table manners. Rina swiveled her head around, Alexander wasn't there yet. Rina remembered the last time they had a large problem; Alexander completely forgot about his meal and nearly skipped it. She wondered if it was going to happen again. He'd need his energy for their next encounter.

"Hey, Rina," hailed Specter as he finished a mouthful of ramen, "how's the weather?"

"Clear skies with little wind," said Rina sitting down into a chair. She jabbed the still hot veggies that floated in her soup with a fork. It would be awhile till they docked with this wind and she just couldn't ignore the possibility of the pirates causing damage while they were still sailing. It was a reasonable worry, but she really didn't want to think about it. The pirate's bounties are undoubtedly increasing exponentially due to their recent antics.

Reggie brought in a large iron pot and slammed it down on the table. She examined the crew with a smile on her face until she realized Alexander was missing, "Where's Alexander at?" she asked with a frown.

Specter shrugged and continued to down his food with very little regard towards table manners. "He's preparing," answered Rina as she waited a little while longer for a food to cool down. "He'll sometimes skip a meal when he's preparing for a tough battle or a tough decision. It is just how his brain operates…he forgets all about it."

"Not on my watch," said Reggie as she tucked her trusty frying pan into her belt and headed towards his room. Specter pulled his head up just enough to watch her leave the room before returning to his noodles, Rina kept her eyes on her at all times until she closed the door behind her. A few seconds later some loud banging was heard followed by Alexander rushing into the kitchen with Reggie close behind him. "Your body needs the nutrients for this battle! You can't just slack off on eating!"

Once more Rina had to wonder what the heck made this crew, out of all the crews in the West Blue, the most qualified to fight Grand Line pirates.

* * *

><p>Nyakko is a play on the words Nya (The Japanese word for the sound a cat makes) and Byakko.<p>

Like I said a I may do a bonus chapter, here it is. This arc promises to be sort of short, but with major plot twists along the way. I hope you are all ready for what might just become the hardest fight for the crew possible outside of the Grand Line.

Congratulations to those of you who put together what the significance of the names of the pirate crew (I gave you enough hints so it should be fairly easy to guess). Initially I was going to wait a little bit longer until I mentioned their names, but I figured I'd mention them now and get them out of the way.


	67. Chapter 67 Battle Plan

**Planning The Course of Action**

"Here are our opponents," said Alexander slamming the four Wanted Posters onto the table. Rina, Specter, and Reggie were sitting around the table. It wasn't the first time they had seen these posters, but it was the first time they were going to be discussing it as a group.

"'White Claw' Byakko, 'Lovely Artist' Suzaku," Alexander backed up for a second and wondered why they would give the nickname of Lovely to a pirate, but he shook his head and kept reading. "Ahem…'Heavy Armor' Genbu, and last, but not least, 'Draconian Tyrant' Seiryu." The four wanted posters were spread about the table to make sure everyone had a picture to look at.

The group sighed heavily as the checked the Wanted Posters. Seiryuu and Byakko had the two highest bounties at 32,000,000 and 39,000,000 respectively, but that was only due to the fact that the burning of the villages were done by the hand of Seiryuu himself and that Byakko was a pirate for a longer period of time. Suzaku had the next highest at 26,000,000 and Genbu had the lowest at only 19,000,000. 19,000,000 wasn't that horribly high, but it could just be that he didn't do a thing and just sat back while the rest of the crew caused the mayhem.

"Why the heck do these bounties not have a difficulty rating!?" shouted Specter throwing Byakko's poster into the air in frustration. "I would like to know which one of these guys is supposedly the strongest amongst them. Who's the captain, who has a Devil Fruit power, and all the things of the like...only thing these things tell us is who the Marines find to be a biggest pain the butt."

"How do you expect us to know that?" asked Alexander putting his head in his hands with a depressed look etched across his face as he mindlessly flipped Genbu's page over. "According to the majority of the reports they torched any island they land on before they have a chance to give a decent report. We barely got the pictures for these guys!" He pointed at Seiryu's poster, which was a shot from behind with only about a third of his actual face showing.

"Actually a rumor running around about these guys is that both Suzaku's and Byakko's poster were sent in by them," said Reggie as she picked up Byakko's poster and set it on the table. "After all the work they did to become notorious by name they wanted to get credit, so they gave their pictures to a messenger bird and sent them in." The crew gave a unanimous weird look at the pictures, after all who wanted to be hunted? But they did definitely see it as both of the two pictures appeared to be posed for. Suzaku's a close-up with a wink and her blowing a kiss and Byakko's was him standing with his arms crossed looking intimidating.

"Freaks…all pirates are freaks," said Rina leaning back in her chair as she thought about all the pirates she met so far. "Are you sure there are absolutely no files on these pirates? I mean with all damage and destruction they've sown there should be some, a witness report, birth records?"

"Well, we have a little documentation on Byakko," said Alexander. "We've recently increased security in the East Blue due to the fact that the former Pirate Kings were both born in that sea." Another unsettling fact for these pirates and further increasing the chance of them becoming the next Pirate King. "But nothing beyond his birth date and whose his family was…and his family had been killed early on…by a Marine raid."

"A formal investigation was going on concerning the assassination of a Rear Admiral," explained Reggie as she read it straight from the file. "His family wasn't even a suspect until they found not only the murder weapon in their house, but also the Devil Fruit the Rear Admiral had been in charge of transporting. The Devil Fruit was recovered and Byakko was sent to an institution until they could be sure he wouldn't become a pirate like his parents. They sent him out at the age of fourteen deeming him to be safe. I guess they were wrong."

"Great! We got a deranged loon, a serial arsonist, and a hot chick that needs to be taken down," said Specter, completely skipping over Genbu as there was nothing particularly outstanding about him. "We have no idea how they met, what their powers are, or how strong they are. We only know their names, faces, and how big of a pain in the ass they are to the government. Why did we accept this mission again?"

"Because we are Marines," declared Rina defiantly as she continued to flip through the papers desperate to find some hopeful glimmer of good news. Nothing. "We'll be docking soon," said Rina with just a hint of defeat in her voice. "I'll go and get us ready. The island is just before us. Everybody you may wanna get ready…the enemies may be on this island causing havoc as we speak."

The crew stepped off of the ship and onto the horror that awaited them. The buildings were hideously burned, "wha-wha happened?" asked Rina as she looked around at the buildings. "We shouldn't be this late!" she rushed up to one of the buildings and checked it out. It was in terrible shape and the burn marks appeared to be recent. "They should've just barely arrived! Even if the wind was with them they've only been on this island for a few days! That would barely be enough time to stock up supplies, much less conduct a thorough search for a new crewmate."

They stood there in utter shock and awe looking at the damage they had caused in such little amount of time. "What else could've caused this then?" asked Alexander looking over at Rina. "If those pirates didn't cause it, what-" he paused as he noticed a ship docked a little bit further down the dock. He walked down to it.

It wasn't a pirate ship; it was an older ship, one that was used mostly for transportation. It didn't even have any cannon holes in the sides. It was in fairly decent shape compared to the rest of the island. Even the dock had signs of a recent torching. "Ahoy! Marines!" shouted a voice from atop the ship. Alexander looked up and saw a man climb down. He was an older gentleman, but according his outfit he was a seasoned sailor. A captain's cap on his head, a tough jacket protecting his body from the rough winds, and a fisherman's net being used as a belt. "I'm Captain Jack Sternum. Ordinarily I'd offer law officers a drink, but I'm afraid I'm quite busy!"

"What happened here?" asked Alexander pointing out the horrendous scene behind him. Jack Sternum frowned as he looked at what used to be his hometown.

"Pirates, frightful rascals," he muttered wiping some water from his mouth. "They came here a few days ago and demanded food and other supplies. We initially stood up to them, we did! We gave them a jolly good show! Most of our men were knocked down quickly, not everybody can stand up to pirates like them. But we kept at it! It was an obvious lost for our side only one man actually gave them a good thrashing, fighting on near equal footing, however, in the end he lost as well. The pirates then offered us…him a deal."

"They would torch half the town and return here in one week's time," continued Jack Sternum recounting what must've been a horrible story for him, "after one week's time the warrior who gave them a good fight must join their crew. If he didn't the rest of the town would be burned to the ground."

"Dang, the fate of this town rests on his shoulders," summarized Specter as he looked out at sea as if expected to see their pirate ship floating out there. "Any other conditions on this deal?" asked Specter, he found it hard to believe that the pirates would spare half of the town just for this one man, who would join them but do begrudgingly that didn't add up for a good group dynamic.

"Yup…" said Jack his voice beginning to trail off, "the man was to give them a list with 200 names. These people were to be killed on the spot." Rina let out an involuntary gasp. Ordering a man to kill 200 people of his hometown couldn't be easy, not unless he was a monster. "The man is against this, he's trying to train an army to counter attack them, to fend them off, I fear it s too late. They are too strong and our peace-loving island can't become strong enough to fend off these pirates, their too strong. I'm gathering up as many people as I can and heading off to sea. We're leaving tonight!"

Alexander nodded. It was possibly one of the better choices in this matter. These pirates could torch a town, training complete newbies to take them down in a week wouldn't work. "Why didn't you call for help?" asked Alexander, "try calling the Marines and getting their help in this situation?"

"They said they had a wire-tapping Den-Den Mushi any calls coming off of this island will result in an immediate assault," explained Jack. "They could wipe us out faster than the Marines could get here to help."

A complete lockdown…they planned things through to this extent. Phone calls blocked off, so getting help was out of the question. They probably knew that no matter the amount of training there was no way a bunch of villagers could harm hardcore pirates. They put some heavy strategic thoughts into this…they would've leave the sea unblocked. "Don't sail," conferred Alexander, "they are doing this smartly, there's no way they wouldn't leave the sea unguarded. They probably already have an inkling you are planning on sailing out and put up some kind method to block it."

"Then how did you get in?" asked Jack, "If they blocked the sea off, they had to know that you were sailing in and would've stopped you wouldn't they? They are probably just cocky enough to ignore that obvious way out. Sometimes the craftier you are the more likely you are to forget the obvious." Alexander supposed it was a valid point, but he still wasn't happy about it. Why would they forget to seal off that obvious escape route?

"Let's leave," said Alexander in a huff. He didn't want to admit it, but the guys point seemed reasonable. Was it possible that they simply just wanted more ships in? They didn't see the harm in letting a Marine ship sail in? The more and more he thought about it, the more and more it seemed like they just forgot about it. He stopped and turned around, having one final though, "Where's this supposedly strong man at?"

The captain paused for a second and thought about it for a moment as to whether or not he should trust this newcomer. Finally, he sighed and pointed into town. "If he's still teaching those fighting classes, he's probably in the town center." Jack turned around and stared up into the sky for a brief moment. "It is still early…he may still be teaching the rest of the island. We are a peaceful island, not much war, no bar fights. Some of us can't tell the barrel of the gun apart from the trigger! Ha ha ha ha!"

Alexander nodded and went off to find this man who was actually capable of combating the pirates. Maybe he could supply him with some halfway decent answers.

(-in the middle of town-)

An aging man stood on top of the podium with a long metal staff in his hand. At one end of the staff was a heavy iron sphere, the other end had a sharp curving claw. He was barking out orders to the men below him, who were following them with the utmost speed. They all currently had rusty spear guns and makeshift bows in their hands. They were taking aim at a log that had been hauled in from the ship yard. The majority of the men were terrible shots; most of the arrows had missed the log

The aging gentleman that was commanding them was dressed very casually. He wore heavy jeans, with cuts on the knee and legs; he had a white shirt on over them. He had a brown buzz cut and side burns that stretched to the bottom of his chin. He was an official in terms of appearance. He was instructing the entire group, shouting adjustments and techniques to get better aim with their weapons. He was not going to lose to some worthless pirates!

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><p>Ugh...no funny author's note today...feeling under the weather.<p> 


	68. Chapter 68 Gathering Information

**Information Gathering**

"Hey," shouted Jack waving at the instructor. The instructor swiveled around, and grasped his staff looking down at the older captain and his four new friends. "We've got some Marines willing to help us out. Well…they came here to accomplish the same thing you want to. Beat the crap out of those pirates."

The instructor seemed to lighten up at those words. He leapt from the podium, clearing four feet easily with that one jump, "nice to meet some comrades in arms! I'm Stryder, the only reasonably decent fighter on this island." He stopped for a second and glared over at the rest of the men, who all quickly reloaded their weapons and took another shot at the log.

"So you are actually planning to go head-to-head with the pirates?" asked Alexander as he looked around Stryder and at all the harpoons and makeshift arrows that laid on the ground from missed shots. Even with a week of training, he highly doubted they would make it to be able to fight the pirates. They were from the Grand Line, one week just wasn't enough time.

"War is only about 40% strength," replied Stryder as he quickly gave the signal to fire. The men let loose a quick volley of harpoons and arrows. Once more the results spoke for themselves. Not even half of the arrows or harpoons buried their heads into the wood, the majority wound up planting themselves into the dirt. "The other 60% is strategy," continued Stryder. "That's what I'm counting….strategy." He said those last few words with such dejected depression; you could tell he wasn't happy with the other 40 percent of this war.

Rina nodded. "It is true. A lot of great battles have been won due to better strategy despite having horrible chances in terms of power and technology." Stryder lifted an eyebrow as he looked at her, as if he couldn't tell if she was agreeing with him…or insulting him. Rina picked up on this rather quickly and instantly corrected herself with, "I-I mean, strategy is the most important aspect of war. God…Alexander is contagious," she said slumping to the ground.

This time Alexander looked over at her with a questioning gaze, but decided to leave it be. Reggie tried to continue where Rina had left off, "well, at least you have greater numbers. With this small army versus only four pirates, you should stand a reasonable chance."

Jack frowned as he looked out over the sea to where he presumed the pirates were lurking. "I'm starting to doubt that our quantity could ever possibly make up for the huge difference in quality." Rina and Reggie nodded as they came to realize how true that might be the old saying was 'quality over quantity'.

"We would like to offer our services to bringing those pirates to justice," stated Alexander with the utmost air of confidence. "We are Marines! With our skills and your numbers, we can definitely take those pirates down!"

"Glad you agree!" shouted Stryder wrapping his arm around Alexander's shoulders and pulling him in closer. "It is not the easiest thing in the world to take down pirates, so I appreciate the help. So where's the rest of your crew?"

Alexander paused for a second, unsure of how to answer the question. "…this…this is it," he stated with a telltale quiver in his voice. Stryder eyed up the four people that stood before him and his face didn't get any cheerier as he looked at each of them.

"Are you pulling my leg?" Stryder asked, walking closer to Alexander until he loomed over him. "Cause if you are…then I sure as heck don't find you the least bit funny." Alexander smiled sheepishly as he shook his head no. "You're kidding me? You only got two guys!" Rina and Reggie both raised an eyebrow at that statement. "You're no reinforcements, you're a joke!"

Specter grabbed onto the man's shoulder and pulled him back. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you just get your butts handed to you by four pirates? Don't you dare look down on us just cause we're small, we can cause more trouble than any pirate combined!"

"He doesn't mean that," said Rina immediately trying to cover up for him, "We're not trouble. We're here to help."

"And I'll blow anyone up who says differently!" finished Specter with a boisterous laugh as he fired a pop grenade into the air. The small round bomb exploded in midair. Specter puffed out his chest with an odd sense of pride to it.

"I fight to protect women and kids, I don't like it being the other way around," said Stryder. He looked over at Rina and Reggie. He screwed up his face at them, obviously displeased with their choice of vocation. He then turned to Alexander and Specter, he had a similar hate-filled look for them.

"Wow…I think I'm going to let the pirates kill him," said Specter with a laugh. His little joke didn't seem to lift his comrades' spirits and they all shot him a horrendous look, "I was kidding," he reassured them with a friendly smile. Rina and Reggie both let an audible moan, Specter just shrugged.

"Let's ask around," offered up Alexander, deciding to ignore Specter's awful sense of humor, "find out more about these pirates." He had originally intended to ask Stryder about the pirates, but he highly doubted that that would be willing to help them any further. He decided at this point it would probably be best to just focus on the positive and go after the other people who fought the pirates.

The group and nodded and decided to split up to best collect that information. Reggie and Specter went in one direction with Alexander and Rina going in the other. They figured this was the best way to spread up just in case they came up against the same sexism Jack showed with their investigation. Alexander and Rina decided to go back to the ruined part of the town, see the people who were packing up down there get ready and talk to them. They hoped they could be of some help. Reggie and Specter decided to talk to the men who were still practicing.

They started their investigation with one of the men who was sitting down and taking shots. His left leg was heavily bandaged, a clear sign he was involved in the latest struggle. "Can you tell us something about the pirates you fought?" asked Reggie, crouching down next to him.

"Of course, knowing your enemy is vital to strategizing, I'll tell you everything I know," he said with a cheerful smile. "It isn't much, the guy was overwhelmingly strong he knocked me out after my first shot." He picked up his harpoon gun and fired, he made a perfect hit on the target. "I'm a pretty good shot. However, when I fired my first spear at the man…he caught it. His hand snapped forward around it and broke it in two…it was like a reflex for him. He didn't even think about it. The next thing I knew before I even had my next shot loaded he was right in front of me…"

"Where were you stationed?" asked Reggie, "how far away did you take this shot from?"

The man sighed. "I don't know…I mean I thought…I could've sworn I took the shot from mile or two away. But…come on, it is impossible for someone to cover two miles in a blink of an eye. I must've been mistaken."

"Thank you for your time," said Reggie, giving the man a quick courteous bow before turning and walking away with Specter following her. "So, the injured can fight, but women can't?" she scoffed once they were out of earshot.

"The ability to cover that much ground…it can't be a Zoan Devil Fruit or else the guy would've mentioned the man transforming into a beast. So, that leaves what? Soru?" asked Specter trying to get the conversation back on track.

"There have been other documented cases of people with extreme speeds comparable to Soru," corrected Reggie as she tried to ignore Stryder's insults about women. "I mean, the last Pirate King had a method to increase his speed to above and beyond human measures, and then there are people with just plain superhuman speed. It could be one of those rare types who are blessed with it."

"Yeah," said Specter as he thought about that. If it was him, chances are the fight would've boiled down to the exact same thing. He would've taken the shot, the man would've dodged it, closed the distance, and mowed him down with the same speed. Specter wasn't happy with that imagery in his head, so he tried to push it away. "Let's go see the next person, maybe we could get a little more information on these guys."

(-With Alexander and Rina-)

Rina was walking slowly around the burnt buildings. She had seen these horrible things before and as a Marine it shouldn't surprise her, but she couldn't stop running her hands over the crisp building. "I can't believe that humans just don't see this as wrong. I mean…look at this. So many homes lost…"

Alexander just frowned and shook his head. "Let's just ask these guys about the pirates and leave this place," he said with a quick glance around, "it is like being in a ghost town. It feels as if a skeleton will pop out and try to eat our flesh."

Rina nodded. She didn't believe a zombie would pop out of the corner and attack them, but she was more than eager to leave this horrible half of the island. "Excuse me,s- sir!" she said waving her hand to attract the attention of one of the other men.

She attracted the attention of one of the men, probably for the wrong reason, but at this point they'd accept any help. "Hey, there sweet thing," he asked as he sauntered up to her. He didn't seem bothered by the Marine insignia on her cap nor the man standing next to her. "Who you doing?" he asked while eyeing her up.

Alexander silently and quickly prayed to whatever gods existed that Rina didn't punch the guy's two front teeth out. His prayers were apparently answered as Rina calmly replied, "Excuse me sir, we are investigating the recent pirate attack."

"Ergh," said the man slightly taken back by the question. It wasn't good for his dating profile to have the girl point out a very recent failure in his life. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said with very little enthusiasm, "we got our butts kicked, but it wasn't out fault! The pirates were just so much more powerful! We were overwhelmed! Their strength just wasn't human!"

"Was there anything special about them that you would care to point out?" asked Rina, "any weapons, abilities, or anything else? Something that could give us a fighting edge against them?" She asked. She wanted to know more about these Grand Line pirates so she inadvertently leaned forward towards the man to question him.

The man's attention dropped from her face to chest, just like the pig he sounded like. "Well, I…erhm, no specific weapons that I remember standing out…one guy had a club like weapon, another used these weird gauntlets with claws sticking out and…oh, the girl bent my harpoon with her bare hands!"

"Her bare hands?" asked Alexander. While bending steel wasn't impossible and something that he and numerous pirates could do, he found it hard to believe that she grabbed a harpoon while it was being thrust at her and bent it.

The man shot Alexander a dirty look as if he had interrupted him in the middle of this deranged mating session before promptly swiveling back around to Rina. "Yeah, she grabbed a hold of my spear and twisted it. Next thing I know the spearhead was pointing back at me."

"Don't you guys use wooden harpoons?" questioned Rina remembered all of the harpoons she had seen laying about the ground at the training grounds with Stryder. "Wood doesn't really bend a whole 180 degrees. It should've broken."

"People shouldn't spontaneously combust into flames, but I've seen that happen. I've seen a lot of things happen, actually, maybe we could discuss me and the things I've seen over a pint of ale later this evening?" the man asked and in one swift motion moved to wrap his arms around Rina.

However, Rina in terms of speed, reflexes, and apparently brains Rina outclassed the man. She wrapped her arm around the man's arm and using her martial arts training, which included a brief introduction to Judo, she threw him. The poor man was brought crashing into the ground, face first. Alexander shrugged, while this meant his prayer sadly had to go unanswered, he doubted even God could handle a woman scorned.

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><p>Alexander doesn't stand a chance, does he? Oh, no, not against the pirates, against Rina...that girl would kill him.<p>

Anyways, the excitement is growing as the characters soon find themselves in an even grimmer outlook. What are the odds of them ALL surviving after their last near brush with death? I don't know. So, you better keep reading and find out for yourselves! Also! Expect another bonus update this Friday, I still got a lot of chapters in my archives!


	69. Chapter 69 The First Encounter

**The First Encounter**

Alexander slumped down onto the dock. It was late at night. Captain Jack's ship was about to sail off taking all of the villagers who couldn't fight, or wouldn't fight, away. Alexander still had his doubts about this strategy, but Jack had made clear as day that they would sail off with or without his blessing. Alexander couldn't blame them. Half of their island had been burnt to a crisp using some sort of power that Alexander still had no explanation for.

From the villager's explanation, Byakko had extreme speed and sharp, skinny claws protruding from all of his knuckles, Genbu wore heavy armor and wielded an even heavier club and he possessed the strength to demolish houses with one swing, Suzaku was a beautiful woman who could bend anything she got her hands on, and Seiryu was some unarmed martial artists who was supposedly responsible for burning down one half of the island.

Alexander could do nothing, but look down between his feet and shake his head at how worthless he was feeling. Half of an island was burned down and now he was expected to take down the pirates who did it with absolutely no information? He admittedly didn't usually have a wealth of knowledge concerning his opponents, but he felt shockingly out of loop. These weren't hidden assassins, they were famed assassins. They had dozens of eyewitnesses…and yet…and yet they had been chasing their tails for the last 12 hours. Alexander swiftly pounded his feet into the ground beneath; he felt the wooden planks of the dock shudder beneath the force. He sighed and directed his eyes skywards.

The ship would be sailing soon; they were just waiting for perfect darkness. The island was a fishing colony, they were confident they would find their way across the sea even in complete darkness. Rina stated that some navigators were just that good, her mentor was and one day she would be too.

"I don't like this," said Reggie, who was also anxiously awaiting the departure of the ship as was the rest of the crew. Alexander smiled, it was a welcoming thought that he wasn't the only one who though this way. It was nice that his crew agreed with him. "The pirates must've thought this through. I mean, they instilled an insane amount of fear into their hearts about even calling the Marines. Do they care that half the remaining population of this island will just sail away?"

"Hey, Stryder," shouted Alexander. He was none too thrilled about having another delightful conversation with him, but he felt he had to try one last-ditch effort to stop this possibly horrible mistake. "Are you sure you're okay with them leaving? I mean, shouldn't you have all hands on deck with this invasion?"

"Hah!" shouted Stryder, "you're a real riot, aren't ya? I thought this through, that ship only has woman, child, the elderly, and the severely injured, in other words, people who aren't fit to fight. While the Marines may be fine with sending women and probably eight year-olds to war, I know better. I'm going to protect my women and children."

Alexander paused for a second as he remembered Specter's idea of just letting the pirates kill him. It was beginning to look better and better with each passing conversation. He was interrupted from this rather disturbing thought process as Jack hollered one last time, "all aboard!"

For awhile Alexander's fears had subsided as he watched the ship sail off. It was only a small gathering and celebration, people were getting together, briefly embracing and crying, before they separated and got on the boat. Alexander could feel their nerves. They too were worried about this idea, but they knew it was safer than staying on the island that could be besieged by the pirates at any moment. It was a horrible feeling for them to leave behind their homes and husbands, but it was must be done.

Specter had been caught up in the moment, crying and waving them good-bye, despite the fact that he knew nothing about these people. Rina was remaining quiet, scanning the seas for the slightest disturbance, a scouting boat, and a storm cloud, something that would force the ship to sail back and land safely in the docks. Reggie was pacing about, nervously, her teeth fiercely crunching onto her tongue to the point where it had started to bleed. "Don't like this, don't like this one bit," she repeated, constantly swiveling her head out to sea and then back to her feet.

Alexander shrugged. It was their duty to protect these people, not order them around and as it currently stood, this method of protection may just be the best. Alexander and his crew had sailed in without the slightest problem, why should sailing out be different? It made sense…it was perfectly logical reasoning, but Alexander still had his doubts.

The ship's lights were off as it sailed out into the murky black waters. They didn't want anything to give them away. The sails had been painted black to blend in with the night sky and the ship was sailing straight, the quickest way out. Alexander kept his eyes on the ship at all time, still tossing the idea around about grabbing his ship and sailing out with them for protection, but numbers or power wasn't what was needed here. Stealth was. And their gaudy white and light blue Marine ship stuck out of the black waters like a sore thumb. Alexander just had to hope.

Alexander looked over at Stryder, who, despite his mountain of confidence, seemed uneasy about this too. He stood at the very edge of the docks as if he was ready to jump in and swim out to sea to save anyone and everyone that would fall into the water if this plan of theirs went south. It was the first time that Alexander felt even the slightest kinship with Stryder.

Then it happened. The nightmare that Alexander had. He didn't know how it happened, he only saw the after-effects. He saw the ship be blown to pieces, lifted up and out of the water for a brief second. He saw the mast being ripped off of the ship and sent into the air, splashing back down and into the water. Alexander leapt up from his seat and raced to the end of the dock, standing next to Stryder, who looked on in horror.

"What…what happened?" asked Stryder as his eyes remained riveted to the horrifying scene. He didn't turn around and see Alexander's widened eyes or the horrified gasps of his friends and family, he remained looking forward to the ship that was slowly sinking away into the darkened waters. "What happened?" Stryder repeated this time quieter, at a volume where Alexander was sure he was the only one who had heard him.

Alexander leapt into action. The people on the ship were gone, it pained him to think that way, but he had to. He had to focus on the task at hand, "Hide our ship!" he quickly barked at Rina. Rina looked dazed for a second, up until that moment her eyes had been on the ship, too, but now they were fixated on Alexander. She shook her head, coming to her senses and with a quick salute she was off. "Hide your weapons, the less guns and ammunition the pirates see the better." The men on the island looked up at Alexander, they didn't know what to do. A strange man was barking orders at them and their friends and family were just killed. This was a horrible day for them. "HIDE YOUR WEAPONS!" Alexander said smashed his foot into and through the wooden planks beneath him for effect. That got them going, they all immediately broke off, rushing in all directions.

"We knew nothing about this!" shouted Alexander, grabbing hold of Stryder and pointing to the wreckage out at sea. "The people who foolishly sailed out to sea did so against your advisement. You had no knowledge about this ridiculous and stupid move. You were going to play along with the pirates, you don't want to, but you were going to." Stryder remained standing there in a dazed state, looking up at Alexander, what was this man saying to him?

"Now is there a place where me and my men can hide?" questioned Alexander, "I don't want the pirates to know there any Marines here, okay?" Somehow the pirates blew up that ship and if that was the case, chances are they could've blown up theirs. If that was the case there was only two reasons why they wouldn't, 1) they didn't care about the Marine ship, which seemed highly unlikely as they went out of their way to prevent the island from calling the Marines or 2) they didn't see it. They hadn't started to patrol the sea yet, they didn't set up alarms or something that made their ship undetectable. Either way the less the pirates knew about the Marines that were stationed on this island, the better.

Specter and Reggie had already executed their own little brigades, sending men rushing about to hide their weapons and telling them where. Information was the first step in successfully winning a war, finding it, hiding it, giving false information to your opponent. Each of these tactics needed to be perfect. Alexander and his crew already apparently failed the first, so now it was on to accomplishing the first and second. And they probably had until morning.

(-The next day-)

Alexander and his crew were gathered in one of the burnt buildings anxiously keeping in an eye on Stryder and waiting for the pirates. Clear signs of distress showed on Stryder's face as he paced about, the pirates' scare tactic worked. They had shown their immense force to the extremes twice now, it was all about how they reacted to this moment.

He saw the ship's flag first. It was a pair of crossbones with a tiger's skull to the east, a turtle's to the north, a bird's to the north, and what Alexander supposed was a dragon's skull filling in the west. The rumors were they were basing themselves off of the four deities that were protecting the world according to olden beliefs. Alexander clenched his hands and bit his mouth as he kept a careful watch out of the window of his building.

The first one he saw was Byakko, leading the slow walk off of the plank and onto solid ground. The first thing he did was gently test the dock to make sure no trap doors, bombs, or the like awaited them. When he felt confident in the security of the dock, he motioned for the rest to join him. Suzaku and Genbu followed shortly after with Seiryu apparently holding back and on the ship to keep watch.

Alexander and his crew huddled around a small Den-Den Mushi, which was hooked up to a hidden Den-Den Mushi in the dirt beneath Stryder. They were going to gather as much intelligence about these pirates as possible. The quality was poor, but it was untraceable and couldn't be hacked into by wire-tapping Den-Den Mushis and the like.

"So," growled Byakko over the Den-Den Mushi, "thought you could run away from us, eh? Don't like the deal we offered you?" Byakko did a swift uppercut and brought his claws closer to Stryder's neck, but stopped short. "We could amend it at this very moment; kill off everybody left on this island." He motioned to his two allies, who shared a smile at the offer.

"I apologize, but I didn't know what they were doing," lied Stryder managing to keep a straight-face. "I told them not to leave the island. I was working on the list like you wanted." Stryder took out a sheet of paper, with random names scribbled out onto it. Byakko ripped it out of his hands and looked it over. Stryder had just written it last night and plenty of those names were people on the ship. "They probably thought I was going to sell them out…most of them were right. I was trying to save my people, it would be foolish to escape by sea. I knew you'd catch us."

Alexander nodded from his position. Pirates are like little kids, they liked it went you praised them and they didn't like it went they didn't get their way. Make it seem like you are giving them what you want while praising them, made them like you better and less…trigger-happy.

Byakko smiled as he read through the paper. It showed marvelous progress, it made him happy that they had won over this pathetic shrimp's willpower, now the only thing left was to kill these people. He'd wait though, give the guy the promised time. He wasn't a complete barbarian. "Good, good," he said shoving the paper back into Stryder's hand, "I'll come and get you later this week like we promised." Byakko waved good-bye, "do whatever you like to, we'll leave in two hours after these two scan the surrounding."

Suzaku sighed, resting her small head atop her perfectly manicured hands, "I wanted to get another seven hours of beauty sleep after this, but the crew needs my eye for detail to scour the ugly island. It is such a burden when you are this beautiful."

Genbu shrugged as he looked around the island. Suddenly something caught his eye. "Hey!" he shouted, grabbing a hold of Stryder and forcing him down to the ground.

* * *

><p>As promised a bonus chapter!<p>

And what do you know? Another cliffhanger.


	70. Chapter 70 The Split-Up

**The Split-Up**

"Hey!" shouted Genbu sweeping Stryder off of his feet and then forcing him down onto the ground. He smashed him down and buried him in the dirt. "Mind explaining all these harpoons lying around?" questioned Genbu.

"Wha-" asked Stryder still looking around frantically barely managing to catch the bits and pieces of the harpoons lying around undoubtedly left over from their many training sessions when they missed. Stryder paused for a second and stumbled out the following words, "those are from your last visit. You know, when we foolishly thought we could beat you guys?"

"In the half of the island we burnt down?" asked Genbu. "The wooden harpoons survived the inferno that the massive buildings got incinerated by? Be serious! You salty sea dogs were training to take us down and these things…" Genbu shouted as he bent down, lifting one of the misfired harpoons into the air and waved it around in Stryder's face, "are your weapons!"

Alexander watched and listened on from his burnt hideout. He had heard several marines talk about moments like this. Moments where the entire mission lies in someone else's hands and you have no choice, but to sit and wait it out, see what happens and hope for the best. They talked about them as if they lasted for years, which Alexander had always wondered about, but now he saw what they meant. This moment seemed to stretch on forever as Alexander watched what could be both Stryder's and this island's last moments.

"Calm down, Genbu," said Suzaku gently patting the large knight on his head like a dog, "it doesn't matter, does it? These ugly weapons wouldn't hurt us a bit." Suzaku took the harpoon from Genbu, her hands glowing a light red color, and with the most minimal effort she bent it into a circle. "I mean, ugly things like these couldn't possibly harm me nor you behind that heavy armor. I say we let them try…it is just going to end up in their beautiful deaths!"

Genbu growled something under his breath, but he knew he would be outvoted in this matter. Everybody else on the crew liked a good challenge, Byakko and Seiryu would relish in the opportunity to try their hands on new well-prepared villagers. Suzaku saw it nothing more as a minor hindrance, which should be handled when it needed to be and not a moment before. Genbu felt undermined, but he supposed in the end Suzaku was right, his large and cumbersome armor did have its uses. "Let's just stock up on supplies while we are here?" grumbled Genbu, relenting to Suzaku's idea.

Alexander let out a deep breath and slumped to the charcoal ground. He looked at his fellow teammates who all had similar faces of relief etched on their faces. This wasn't what they dreamt of it being like… being Marines…they thought of stalwart heroes and beautiful heroines, not a group of unwanted and mismatched misfits hiding out in a torched place placing all their bets on the fact that one guy would be able to cover for them and weave a perfect web of lies.

"Something's different about this place," they heard over the radio forcing them all to peek out the window again. Byakko was pacing impatiently in the dirt. He suddenly dropped down onto the ground, pinching a group of dirt between his fingers. Suddenly he leapt back, "y-you had a d-d-d-d-d-dog on this island! I don't like dogs! Kill it!"

"Uh…" Stryder said pausing for a few seconds unsure of what Byakko was talking about, suddenly he saw small footprints in the ground. He also remembered the Marines brought a dog with them. "Yeah…some random dog, but it was on the ship out. So it is already dead." He didn't want to spark an investigation of the island over something as stupid as dog footprints.

Byakko nodded. "Darn mutt got what he deserved," he muttered quietly. "I'm going to go wait on the ship for awhile. Try to shake this feeling I got all of a sudden. Dogs lead to nothing, but trouble."

Alexander nodded his head in agreement with Byakko's well-said opinion. His life wasn't great, but he knew for a fact that it didn't get better since he met Hay ate. A quick slap to the back of his hand from Rina snapped him back to focus. Yup…definitely didn't get better since he met those two.

They stopped for a second as they saw the group split up. Genbu went off to gather supplies by himself due to Suzaku's laziness; meanwhile both Seiryu and Byakko were on the ship. "Now's our chance!" shouted Specter, "we can team up and take down Genbu or Suzaku while they are by themselves! With one or both of them gone taking down Seiryu and Byakko would also become easier."

Alexander paused for a second as he thought about this strategy. It made perfect sense, but he always thought Marines were supposed to uphold fairness and justice. Four-on-one hardly seemed fair. However, he supposed their first and primary duty is to take down pirates. "Okay," said Alexander slowly nodding. While he may not be fond of this tactic it was a real war-time tactic, so it did make perfect sense to try and use it. "Let's attack…" Alexander paused for a second as he considered who to attack. If they attacked Genbu they'd have to break down that armor, but Suzaku had some kind of special ability. Another difficult decision right in a row.

"Why don't we just split up?" offered Reggie. "If we screw up and only take down one, then they'd just get together and form a strategy we need to do this quickly and quietly, we don't want the other pirates to know about it. Besides it will be quicker this way too!" Alexander nodded it made sense; they needed to keep them from meeting up.

(-After Genbu-)

Specter and Reggie had both decided it would be best for them to go after Genbu. They had buried themselves in and were chasing after him. They had to think where would be the best place to go after him at. Attacking him in the middle of the town seemed like it would cause more harm than good. They'd just take it slow and find a better place to attack. The last thing they wanted to do was destroy more of this island. Half of it was burnt to a crisp; breaking down the other half would only cause trouble.

Specter had him in his sights at all time. His crosshairs was perfectly aimed at Genbu's head. When they had the moment, he'd let one of his grenades fly and explode against his skull. Of course, this wasn't you run-of-the-mill pirate. They were taking their time, planning everything out…

Reggie's eyes never left his large club that he toted about. Her frying pan was…meager in comparison. She still had her flintlock pistol on her waist, but…it misfired more often than it didn't. Trusting it would be a stupid choice, she'd just leave the long distance shooting to Specter. But her hand still crept down to her waist and clutched her gun regardless of her thoughts. It was only a precaution and nothing else, but her hand still tightened around its handle as she tried to calm her nerves.

She was chef. She had been a chef her entire Marine career, she remembered always thinking about being on the battlefield, about how that was her dream, but now that her feet were planted on the area scorched by war and her hand was anxiously bouncing on her trigger, she realized that maybe she had over shot this. Maybe being a chef wasn't so bad…before she was reacting to the circumstances, but now it was her turn to act first. No more relying on instincts, now she had to think things through before making the first attack, try not to mess up, try to do everything perfectly. She was going to be the first one to open-fire. And without thinking that's what she did. Her grip tightened a little bit too much on her gun, firing a bullet straight from its barrel and into the ground beneath her.

Specter swore louder than any sailor Reggie had ever heard. He twisted around, apparently thinking someone else had fired at them. Taking his attention away from Genbu and pointing his grenade launcher into the empty building. He swore once more under his breath as he gradually calmed back down. He shot a mean glare at Reggie for scaring him like that, but he returned back to the window and tried to take aim again. Genbu had apparently heard the gun shot and had hid himself amongst some nearby crates. His bulky armor didn't help him blend in at all, but Specter now couldn't get a clear shot.

Firing a shot into those unlabeled crates was a risk. They could contain gunpowder, oils, or any other flammable materials. If he shot it, the whole block could go up in flames. Specter quickly weighed the pros and cons of firing against not firing; in the end the question of what those crates contained was too important…Specter lowered his gun and watched Genbu disappear behind more buildings.

"Nice going," he muttered under his breath. He couldn't blame Reggie, this was the first time in the field…a lot of Marines had the jitters. A plan that required careful execution was a lot more nerve-wrecking then whopping some aside the head with a frying pan after all. That still didn't make Specter feel any better, though. Another pirate was going to be getting away to live another day.

Specter cursed at their bad luck that led to this moment. First the ship that was sailing out burst into a million pieces and now this. These pirates had the luck of the devil…or the Marines had the worst luck of all. If this was a matter of luck versus luck, then the Marines were obviously losing. Specter pounded his fists on the window shield and Reggie bit her tongue as they realized how much deep crap they were in.

(-With Alexander and Rina-)

Alexander breathed deeply as they followed Suzaku. He had learned the lesson that Devil Fruits give people amazing powers and now he was taking his time following Suzaku. If she can bend anything she comes in contact with then that means his bones were liable to be turned into U's. And he didn't want that. The last two and the only two Devil Fruit users he ever went head-to-head with had Devil Fruits that could be used to up their physical prowess, this one didn't, but…for some reason that just made Alexander dread going at her even more.

Maybe that was why Alexander hadn't gone charging in guns a blazing. He was, for some odd reason, holding back. He wasn't moving forward, he was squatting in a stupid old building alongside Rina. He didn't see any particular good reason for not trying to arrest at this exact moment…but he still felt the strong, incredible wariness of taking down the warrior.

The Devil Fruit is a wild card. How did she do it? Was it just as it sounded? The ability to bend anything she touches? Or was it more like anything she touches becomes rubber? Possibly the ability to superheat and weaken any objects she came in contact with? Was it limited to just bending objects? Could she stretch them? Make them bloat up? Maybe even split them straight in half without a single problem? The possibilities were endless…and not a single one of them helped calm Alexander down.

He glanced over at Rina. She didn't seem to have the same trepidation as Alexander did. Was she foolhardy? Or just that confident…Alexander flexed his arm briefly and felt a slight twinge of undying soreness from the heavy-handed blows of Seth. Alexander let out a heavy sigh as he leaned forward closer to the window and closer to Suzaku. "Let's go," he said, standing up. He still felt tied to the room like he should hold back and not moving forward, but he did so anyways. It was the way of the Marines move forward and not look back.

"I'll take point," said Alexander, making a tight fist and stepping forward. However, he felt a sharp tug on his shoulder, pulling him back. It was Rina.

"I think I would be the better one to go first," said Rina. "I can distract her while you wait for an opening. More important than that if her powers affect humans I'd be better off anyways. I'm faster she wouldn't be able to touch me and bend my arms around. So, good luck."

If he was right about Suzaku being a threat…being a genuine demon with the Devil Fruit he didn't want Rina to be the one to be putting her life on the line. It was a captain's job to take the fall for his crew. "Right now her guard is down. If I can hit her, I'll win."

* * *

><p>What?! A fight already! It seems like we haven't hit any of the important character development or plot twists yet! Oh, well, I guess it did end in a cliff-hanger at least and that's what you readers really want, right?<p> 


	71. Chapter 71 The Power of the Grand Line

**The Power From the Grand Line**

Rina remained quietly watching from her spot. Her eyes remained on the woman, a one-hit K.O. on her…was that possible? She was an expert pirate. An incredibly strong one at that. Would Alexander slip in, undetected and hit her without any problem? It seemed unlikely. Her plan was to tire her out, make her focus on one of them, and then take her out. It was a plan rather than an attack, but she didn't feel like questioning Alexander. He was the captain…she wasn't. She would keep quiet…maybe he saw something she was missing.

Alexander was out and he was walking slightly fast towards Suzaku. He had a long stride and many years of training. He would get to her soon; hopefully he could do so without raising any suspicion. It wasn't looking nearly impossible. The civilians were basically giving her a mile of free space. Could Alexander get in regardless? He would stick out like a sore thumb approaching the killer everybody else was avoiding. What was his option?

Alexander pulled his cap down over his eyes. Either to block his face because Suzaku may, by sheer bad luck, know Marines by sight or he was using it as an excuse for him to bump into her. Rina just hoped he could still actually see. She remained focused on him as he broke through the air bubble surrounding Suzaku.

Crap! She took notice of him almost instantly. She looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. Alexander either didn't take notice or he didn't care as he kept moving closer to her. Suddenly Suzaku stopped and turned completely around to face Alexander. That was probably meant their cover was blown. Rina crouched lower and moved another inch forward, her hand gripping her chakram. The fight was going to begin in the next few moments.

"How ugly!" declared Suzaku walking up to Alexander and slapping him hard. Alexander, of course, played along with the slap, acting like it hurt him and he spiraled to the ground. He didn't want Suzaku to think of him as anything more than a simple person who was walking by. "I can't believe this hideous incident which horribly involves an ugly person walking into my beautiful space!"

"I'm…uh, sorry," said Alexander as he tried to readjust his lucky cap, which Suzaku had almost knocked off of his head with her slap. How anyone could think he was ugly was beyond him, but he didn't feel like arguing at this point. "I'm…uh, really, really sorry."

"Well, you should be," chided Suzaku, "For all my beautiful self could know your ugly ticks jumped off of your hideous body and onto my lovely and luscious skin."

Alexander was at a loss of words. For one he was almost completely positive he did not have ticks. Secondly, he just had no idea on how to respond. The woman definitely wasn't ugly, but he thought saying beautiful (especially as much as she said) was just overkill. However, he knew from past experiences that all girls expect to be called beautiful and based off of what Veri Fresh said you can't go wrong with calling a woman beautiful, "I'm sorry. I…uh, didn't see your beautiful…" Suzaku raised an eyebrow obviously unhappy with his statement. Alexander took a deep breath as he began to start over, suddenly he realized something. "You know, I'm fairly certain I'm going to screw up what I say, so I'll stick to what I actually came down here to do."

Alexander leapt up from the ground and using the momentum from him standing back up, fired a quick punch for Suzaku's head. Despite what Rina was going to call the worst surprise attack in history Suzaku still looked mildly taken back by the sudden swing. However, her pirate training allowed her to sway back and avoid even the surprise blow. Of course, Alexander's Marine training allowed him quickly regain his composure and fire a hook for Suzaku's unguarded side.

Suzaku couldn't dodge that blow at all. Her earlier sway had set her off-balance, she was quietly cursing herself as she felt Alexander's solid fist slam into her side, throwing her back with his own immense force. "**Iron Meteor!" **Alexander stepped in again, swinging his arm up and into the air and then he brought his right fist back down, aiming for Suzaku's head.

Then the unbelievable happened. The ground shifted, not like an earthquake, something even more unbelievable. It moved like water and covered Suzaku's body, causing Alexander's own fist to smash into the dirt. He demolished it, of course, but the combination of having to break through the rock and the shock from seeing the earth move to Suzaku's will threw Alexander off-balance both physically and mentally. He wasn't even fully aware when Suzaku stabbed him in his abdomen with her own hand. Alexander grimaced for a moment, but as soon as he got his bearings he fired another punch for Suzaku.

Suzaku didn't retreat, she didn't back down. Instead she reached both of her arms forward, intending to grab a hold of Alexander's arm! Alexander jerked his arm back. He didn't know if her powers did affect the human body, but if it did and he got caught he could kiss his arm good-bye. He was starting to believe that Rina's plan would've been better, but that would've meant feeding her to the dogs. He had to take responsibility as the captain and finish off Suzaku by himself.

"Ooh hoo, looks like the ugly boy got some decent, ugly skills," whistled Suzaku. "My beautiful self doesn't remember you being here the last time we landed on this hideous island? And I am sure I would've remembered something as ugly as you."

"We just landed," said Alexander, not dropping his guard. He kept a close eye on Suzaku's arms, he wasn't about to make another mistake. He'd take it slowly. Genbu should be busy taking on Specter and Reggie, Byakko looked pretty freaked about the dog, that just left Seiryu who didn't seem to be too interested in this island in the first place. Alexander would just take his time with Suzaku and win slowly without endangering his arm. "We're Marines."

Suzaku smiled briefly, probably at the thought of the thrill. She's going to enjoy having an actual challenge to this fight. It wasn't going to be the same thing as taking down a bunch of weak villagers. This would be an actual fight, her first in awhile. Alexander stepped in once more, he fired a quick hook for Suzaku's head. Suzaku leaned back, she felt his fist singe her long flowing hair. It was powerful and fast. Suzaku smiled as she realized this was definitely a tough fight.

Suzaku leaned forward once more, swaying inwards and lunging for Alexander's body. If she couldn't grab a hold of the arms, she'd go for the body. Alexander lifted his leg up separating them with a knee strike. Suzaku didn't mind it, she had grown bored. This was a little bit more fun. Alexander wasn't letting up, he stepped in and unleashed a series of fast and heavy jabs. Each punch exploded past Suzaku as she deftly dodged them all. While each of Alexander's punch read as powerful enough to blow her back, she didn't even sweat under the pressure. She kept a cool-head and remained locked onto Alexander's arms, waiting for her chance to grip and twist.

Alexander brought his leg swinging around, "**Damascus Kick!" **Suzaku jumped back as she heard Alexander's leg cut through the wind as if it was a sharp blade. Suzaku felt a little bit out of breath, the sound was magnificent. If his leg could cut air like that it was possible for it to cut her. She took another heavy breath and tried to separate and regain her wits, the thought of having her beautiful self get cut in half wasn't one she was fond of.

Of course, Alexander wasn't one fond of letting his opponent's get away. He gave chase, stepping into a large opening in Suzaku's guard and moving into her side. Due to her lithe build it was obvious aiming for her body would be the correct decision. Unlike Seth there was no wall of muscles down there to protect it. And that was what Alexander was aiming for. His punch swooped in under her arms and aiming right for her gut. Suddenly the ground reared up once more, protecting Suzaku as she rushed back. Her damn Devil Fruit was proving to be one of the most annoying features.

With it she could create shields out of the ground just by raising them up with her hands or feet. To her they were like clay, but the feeling in Alexander's fist told him that it was solid concrete. Seth's Devil Fruit may have been powerful, but it was also straight forward. This one proved to be more troublesome to Alexander. Oh, well, Alexander took a deep breath and charged in again, he swung around the dirt shield and got in close to Suzaku once more.

Suzaku bent down, grabbed a hold of the ground and quickly lashed out with it. This caused a large spike of ground to jut out, Alexander couldn't stop. His entire body came crashing into the spike. His eyes went wide as he felt the heavy weapon slide into his body. If his body was still made out of human flesh it would've gouged him. Once he had his own iron body to thank, without that it was entirely possible he would've died already. Before he did anything else he quickly brought his palm swinging around and into the earthen spike, smashing it into pieces.

Alexander was about to take another step in, but he was immediately face-to-face with another wall. Suzaku was simply using this tactic to buy herself time, possibly to tire out the monster in front of her. Alexander swung widely and smashed into the wall once more, sending chunks of debris all around him and Suzaku. To his surprise, he found another large wall in front of him. He stepped in again and swung widely with his other fist, smashing it into the next wall and destroying it easily. Once more another wall was in front of his eyes.

Alexander refused to stop. He kept charging at his, he spun to the side and kicked off running down the line of small earthen walls trying to find where Suzaku was. He rushed to the end and found it surprisingly empty. He didn't see her all the way over here. And now that he was at the end he still couldn't find her. He began panicking, swiveling his head from side-to-side, trying to find his target.

"Alexander behind you!" shouted Rina accidently revealing her own position. She didn't think it through, but she had to warn her captain. It was a huge problem for her, but she let her own worries get away from her.

Alexander spun around striking out with his own arm, cutting nothing? He paused for a second as he took a few steps back looking on at what was behind him. He didn't see it. What did Rina shout to him for? He didn't see his attacker. Alexander brought his arms up again and took another fighting pose, anxiously waiting for the probable attack.

"Alexander!" shouted Rina once, "she's circling around!" She didn't understand what was going on. From her vantage point, she could see Suzaku's strange gait as she basically walked circles around Alexander, but for some reason it seemed like he had no idea. He was just looking all around, but it seemed like somehow she was invisible to him, but only to him. How was that possible? Was this another power of her Devil Fruit.

Alexander was completely lost in this fight. He couldn't see his opponent, his opponent had an easy body-destroying technique. How could he possibly defeat an opponent like this? Alexander may be an incredible fighter, but even he can't touch an opponent he can't see. Whatever the reason was, Rina had to step in. For some reason she can see her, so she could take her down.

* * *

><p>Suzaku's Devil Fruit goes unexplained for another chapter. I was starting to wonder whether or not I should include this tidbit of Suzaku's Devil Fruit power, but then I thought WWOD (what would Oda do)...and I realized he would make this Devil Fruit have some of the weirdest, yet sensible powers.<p>

Also, sadly finals are approaching. This means my posting may become a bit off. I got a decent backlog of chapters, so it shouldn't affect them too much its just about finding time to post them. I don't foresee this being a problem, but if I'm late a day or two you'll know why.


	72. Chapter 72 A Twist of Cruel Fate

**A Twist of Cruel Fate!**

Rina rushed down the stairs, she couldn't waste a second. However Suzaku was performing the little disappearing trick was trouble. She needed to strike her down before Alexander was in serious trouble. She had to move in and take down the girl. Rina was finally on the ground, she lashed out with her small chakram, sending the disc slashing through the air at an incredible pace for Suzaku's head.

Suzaku's head snapped to the side to see the incoming attack. The disc made enough noise to attract her attention. She turned around, grabbing a hold of the air and dragged it to the side. The chakram, rather than flying true to the course Rina sent it on, turned. It turned to the side, following Suzaku's hands and being veered off in a different direction.

Suzaku backed off taking her distance now. Due to her little action to redirect Rina's chakram, she had to drop her earlier disappearing trick and now Alexander could see her again. Her Devil Fruit was the paramecia-type, Kata-Kata no mi*. With it she can change the shape of anything, she can grab onto any object and change its shape, including both air and light. She could warp the light around her, making her own body disappear as well as reshape the air to turn attacks away. True if something was strong enough to blow through the renewed air current it is possible that she could still be hit, but that wasn't necessary. Her Devil Fruit was the perfect defense.

As well as offense. Suzaku lunged forward for Alexander's arm once more. If she could get a grip on it, she could twist it in any direction. Of course, it wouldn't cause any pain at all, but it was still a strong technique. To completely redirect her opponent's punches. To make their arms useless. Alexander raised his leg straight up in between the two of them separating them instantly. He then brought it back down with the same force as before, the wind whistled as his metal leg sliced through the air. Luckily Suzaku was able to get out of the way before she was face-to-face with Alexander's heel.

Alexander took his distance again. He looked behind him and saw Rina was there. He quickly swerved around and placed himself in between both his opponent and his nakama. Once more he brought his arms up and strengthened his guard. He wouldn't allow Suzaku to get through to his nakama. Alexander fired a quick succession of jabs, each one cut through the air aimed at Suzaku's head. Suzaku's speed once more allowed her to dodge each successive blow. Alexander reached back and fired another stronger blow for Suzaku's head. Suzaku ducked beneath it and charged past him, she made a beeline for Rina.

"Shit!" shouted Alexander as he caught himself and continued the rotation all the way around. He moved faster around in a circle and burst into a full-speed charge for Suzaku. Suzaku grinned. She stopped in her tracks and threw her entire body into reverse. She turned around and came tumbling for Alexander. The sudden change in direction threw Alexander off-guard for a split second, but that was enough for Suzaku. Suzaku leaned in, grabbing a hold of Alexander's left arm and twisted.

Her Devil Fruit made it easy. The solidity of Alexander's body meant nothing to Suzaku's all-morphing hands. Her hands slipped over his arm and twisted, turning his arm skinnier and twisted. Of course, Suzaku was smiling while she watched her powers morph the hideous captain into a thing of her beauty. She paused for a second as she looked up and into Alexander's eyes, anxious to see the same fear and dread over come him as it did all of her other foes, but…she didn't see that. Instead she saw Alexander gritting his teeth and a never-ending amount of courage and determination in his eyes. And she saw his entire body begin to twist. Her speed was nothing now, they were too close for her to dodge even a wide blow such as Alexander's current right hook. It came down upon her like a sack of bricks. Suzaku's head snapped to the side as she went spiraling towards the ground.

Suzaku got up, heavily wounded. The world was still spinning about her. She tenderly touched her cheek and she knew it had become swollen. This man had disfigured her beautiful face. She stepped forward angrily ready to hit Alexander with all of her own power, but she was met with another full-powered swing from Alexander. She leaned back, falling to the ground. She had dodged the blow, but the feeling from his last blow was still resonating in her body. All of his punches had the power to blow her head off. She couldn't keep putting her life on the line, hoping to be able to defeat him. She got rid of one of his arms, but that was the extent of how far out there she wanted to push herself.

If she was even a second slower than Alexander she would be met with the most destructive punch she had ever met. Of course, Alexander wasn't just letting her sit there and figure al this out. He came charging at her with his fist at the ready. He fired downwards upon the poor frightened woman. His punch came crashing down towards her. It screeched by her ear as she barely managed to swerve her head to the side. The audible whoosh of air blew by her ear making her scramble away.

Suzaku panicked. She grabbed a hold of the air and pulled it in front of her. She bent the light and reshaped it into shield around causing her to disappear almost as if behind a curtain. Alexander didn't care. He didn't stop with the attacks just because he couldn't see. His fist smashed into the ground where Suzaku was. Alexander pulled back and fired again. His fist indents were evident in the ground.

"Alexander," said Rina grabbing a hold of his fist and pulling him back. "She's gone." Of course, Rina didn't have any real evidence of that, but it was obvious based on the look of Suzaku's face when she disappeared. It was obvious she was shaken up.

She wasn't ready to see Alexander's continuous high-powered fire. She may have faced many people on the seas and in the Grand Line, but she probably never encountered someone with the same level of punches as Alexander. She was scared and bolted. Rina couldn't blame her, Alexander was throwing full-swings in an effort to beat her quickly before she used any of her tricks. Somehow it worked out fairly well. True, she disappeared and…Alexander's arm!

Rina rushed to Alexander's other arm and examined it. It had been twisted unnaturally. The skin looked like it had been pulled in a completely wrong direction. It had been thinned out and given a weird unnatural flocculating girth from start to finish. "Are you okay?"

Alexander lifted the arm and gave it a quick snap. "Yeah, no pain. It's a little weird, but I'm fine with it. We've got to find Suzaku before she causes more trouble." Alexander got up and tried to move forward, but Rina yanked him back sending him to the ground.

"First we got to meet up with Specter and Reggie," said Rina as she thought about it. She wondered if they had any better luck with Genbu. She hoped they did where today wouldn't have been a total flop. "Then we've got to go, get a doctor, have him look over your arm…maybe there is a way out of this." She paused for a second as she thought about it. The pirates were still swarming all over this island. They couldn't just pack up and leave due to a single injury. She knew that without a doubt Alexander was thinking the same thing.

"We need to defeat the pirates, first," said Alexander, "the doctor will come after." Alexander snapped his left arm again despite its new shape. It wasn't just to show Rina that it was fine, but also because he was also worried about it. Its shape wasn't all too comforting. He still felt that something was wrong with it. Rina's look of worry didn't disappear with that, but she seemed to calm down a little bit. "Let's just regroup at the ship with Reggie and Specter. Even though my arm is fine they'll probably need to know about what just happened."

"Okay," said Rina with a reluctant sigh. While she agreed that the pirates had to be taken care of…she felt like Alexander was taking his own condition way too lightly. His arm was completely screwed up, but he just blew it off. It was ridiculous that he didn't care about his own arm. Together the duo walked away with great haste. They didn't want to stand around here and do nothing, Suzaku was probably on the pirate ship alerting her allies as they speak.

The ship was only really a short jaunt away. They got back to and sat down, waiting for Reggie and Specter to return. Rina couldn't help but worry about Alexander's arm. As Alexander had so dutifully pointed (again and again) there was no injury, it didn't hurt, it was just…out of shape? It was a weird way to put it, but it was probably the most accurate. "Are you sure, you're okay?" Rina asked again. Alexander nodded and to show he was sure, he snapped his arm again to punch. It was a bit awkward of a punch and probably useless in reality, but it was still functional.

Rina just had to ask the question that had been weighing on her mind for awhile now. "Why didn't you let me go first?" she asked loudly. Alexander paused for a second, his reluctance to answer obvious. "If I wonder went first I could've avoided her attacks, make her reveal her hand and then you could've come in and finished her off."

Alexander sighed. The reason why he didn't want Rina to fight first was because then she'd probably wind up in the same position as he was and he didn't want that. He didn't want Rina to wind up with something that resembled his arm now. But he couldn't imagine that Rina would take that the right way. He meant it as a way to protect her, but she would probably take it as him saying that she couldn't protect herself. "I just wanted to capitalize on the element of surprise."

"Is that all?" asked Rina, sensing there was something more than that. "Cause I can handle myself in a fight! You should trust me! I am your nakama. When it comes down to it I should've went first cause I could've handled it! That girl wouldn't have touched me and then you could've stepped in and took her out when she was tired."

"I didn't want you to get hurt! I was doing my job as Captain and protecting you!" replied Alexander, his voice escalating.

"If you remember Veri Fresh called me your partner!" retorted Rina, "which means we are equals in every way shape and form, we are co-captains!" Alexander flinched, he wasn't fond of the fact that they were technically equals. Nothing against Rina, she was both smart and strategic, it just irked Alexander that someone else was considered to be his equal. "As a result my power also allows me to dictate when you are not fit for duty and I'm sorry, but you are not fit for duty!"

Rina didn't like doing this. It felt like she was pulling rank on someone who was of higher rank than she was, which logically didn't make any sense, but she insisted on doing it. With Alexander's arm being as it was it was probably for the best anyways, but taking Alexander out of commission was also possibly a big mistake especially with the powerful pirates that were on this island. However, Rina stayed firm with her decision.

"And we're back!" shouted Specter slamming the door open and into the ship. "Oh…and we failed!"

* * *

><p>I'm not good with writing emotional scenes, luckily there are idiots like Specter around to come in and ruin them for me!<p>

Anyways, Alexander is in some deep trouble. His arm is basically next to broken due to Suzaku's attack and now he's getting kicked off of his own crew. That just doesn't seem fair, but Rina is right. Alexander is not fit for duty. I mean he was worrying about her and trying to protect her...something is definitely wrong with him.


	73. Chapter 73 The Splitting of the Crew

**The Splitting of the Crew**

Specter and Reggie were returning to the ship. Their hiding spot was well-thought. In the burnt mass of the island there was massive amount of debris that had fallen into the ocean. While it felt a bit like hiding out in a graveyard, their ship blended well into the ruined buildings that floated atop the ocean. They just had to keep the lights off and their flag down.

Specter had admitted he had a bad day. Reggie had blown the job and now a pirate may or may not know that they were trying to take them down. He was all ready to accept some of the blame for not firing faster, but what he walked onto the ship was something that sent chills down his spine. His day was apparently not the worst one yet, considering what must be transpiring between Rina and Alexander. The air had shifted completely. The fresh refreshing air of the sea had vanished and become a much more electrified. Specter felt his throat clench up out of fear as he took another step onto the boat.

He felt like he had walked into an oven. The place wasn't comfortable at all and at the center of it were Rina and Alexander, having a vicious staring contest. There was obviously bad blood circulating between them. Rina was the first to break eye-contact and acknowledge the invading Specter and Reggie. "Hey, bad luck on your end too, huh?"

"Yeah," said Specter as he slowly edged his way closer to the door eager to escape this horrible situation. "But clearly not as bad as some people." While Specter ordinarily would've eagerly made his comedic jabs to get some fun out of this problem, but even he acknowledged the fact that at some point in every fight you just had to run away. And that was this moment. Specter bolted towards the door, shoving Reggie out of the way and leaving.

"Wow…" said Reggie as she felt like repeating Specter's less than honorable retreat. That was the quickest she had ever seen a Marine dash, especially Specter. He wasn't a fan of hard-work much less the hundred-meter dash. "Well, we…uh, failed to…shoot the target. I will brief you later." Reggie had to leave. This wasn't the environment for someone to vent their failures to the rest of the crew. She bolted as quickly as Specter had.

Alexander felt slightly betrayed that neither of his other nakamas would come in and help him defend his position from Rina. But still he felt what they felt, but he knew he was the reason behind it. He wasn't about to back down and let Rina take him out of the team just because he tried to protect her. He didn't want her to get injured and his reward was sitting out on the next fights?

"Suzaku and the rest of the pirate crew are going to outnumber us!" shouted Alexander as he continued try to prove that the crew needed him. There was no way that Specter, Reggie, and Rina could handle these pirates especially without winding up with an injury similar to his. They had no information about the pirates that could give them the advantage. The only thing they knew about the pirates was that one of them gave Alexander a major wound.

"We'll make do," defiantly stated Rina. She had to put her foot down, she didn't feel happy about this, but she had to do what was good for the crew even if it came at the cost of a little bit of Alexander's dignity. She'd deal with the repercussions at a later group meeting, she just didn't want to do it at his funeral.

Alexander stepped forward. He wasn't about to give in on this subject and by the look in Rina's eyes the similar thought was running through her head. Neither side had the desire to give in to the other's seemingly wild demand. "I'm going to fight regardless of the situation." Alexander spoke with a dead-on defiant tone. He didn't care about Rina's opinion. "In the end either we'll win and my decision to fight was the right one or we lose and my decision to fight won't matter. Either way, I'll be taking those pirates down." Alexander turned around and walked away. "However, since I can't convince you, I'll just do it on my own."

Rina shook her head and puffed out her cheeks at Alexander's almost childish actions. She wanted to ream him out, but she couldn't. One she didn't have the authority to and two he was sort of right. In the end…they'll either win or lose. It was his decision whether or not to risk his life and while she wasn't happy with his choice, but…it didn't change the facts. She quietly muttered the words, "don't die."

Alexander didn't hear those words as he marched out of the room and past Reggie and Specter. Specter smiled and offered him a high-five for no reason other than to cut the tension, but Alexander's eyes remained fixated in front of him. He walked past them. Neither Reggie nor Specter felt like they should…or could stop him. While it wasn't nice to call your superior…Alexander was a monster. His strength was unworldly. Combine that with his undying loyalty to the Marines he definitely wasn't a normal human.

Alexander went on into town. He wasted no time approaching Stryder and getting his help. Stryder set him up with a punching back and left him to his own inventions while he continued to train the troops. Alexander didn't hesitate on working the bag. He immediately started hammering away on the bag. His punches crashed into the bag as he worked. His body blows sent the bag swinging to the ceiling. The intensity of his punches had reached a whole new level.

He was annoyed with Rina and his anger clearly transitioned into his punches. She had wanted to do it without making a big scene or injuring Alexander's pride, but Alexander didn't see it that way. He saw it as a direct attack on him. He felt as if she was saying that he was more than useless during this mission. This only stirred up another vicious attack from him. His arm stretched upwards, smashing into the sand bag and sending it almost vertical. He paused as the sand bag swung back down, an obvious hole had been driven into it. Alexander smirked as he snapped his wrist, proud of his work. He walked to the side and moved onto the next bag.

He didn't hold back against this one. He immediately unleashed a barrage of heavy one-handed punches upon this one. He had been purposely refusing to use his injured arm as he was still uncertain of it, but once he had re-obtained his rhythm and started going at it, he couldn't help it. It was just completely natural to throw his other punch. It came as a wide hook. Upon impact with the sandbag he felt what the meaning of Suzaku's move was for.

It didn't hurt him at all when she grabbed and twisted. On top of that it didn't impair his movements at all either it was…weird. It was as if she didn't even mean to cause any injuries to his arm, but now Alexander understood the reasoning. He never felt it before because he never punched something solid, now that he had. He felt the pain surge into his fingers. The muscle alignment was wrong rather than pushing the force of his punch out and into his target it was redirected outwards and through his fingers. It was as if his own punch had smashed into his hand. Alexander collapsed to the ground as he tried to stay calm, but the pain was still pulsating throughout his arm.

Alexander glared over at the sandbag as he came to the realization that he would only be able to use one of his arms in the upcoming fight. He stood back up and retook a fighting pose. If he gave up he would be admitting that Rina was right to take him out of the battle. Alexander lashed out on the sandbag once more, smashing his good fist into the bag and throwing it back. Once more the bag had been ripped open from his own incredible punching power.

Alexander clenched his fist and looked down upon it. He could still do it. He would just have a handicap. He stepped forward again and smashed his fist into the already destroyed sandbag. He could do it.

(-with Suzaku-)

Suzaku stumbled onto the ship. Byakko immediately took notice as she looked positively smashed. It was obvious that walking a straight line was nearly impossible. He got up, originally to mock her for what he thought was her drunken state, but when he got close he realized that she wasn't drunk. She was out of breath, like she had ran the whole way here, and she was shook up. Byakko smiled, "what's the matter? Saw a rat and shrieked like a little girl?"

Suzaku immediately straightened up, feigning composure. She did not want Byakko to know about her moment of weakness. "I just had a nice jaunt. We've been out at sea for such a long time, that my legs had grown sleepy. It's been awhile since I ran away like a chicken, unlike you when you saw those dog footprints on this island," if she hadn't insulted Byakko he would've sensed something was up.

Byakko growled, "I also wouldn't be tired from a run around the island." He stretched out his arms and pointed out to the island's shore. "Wanna race and see which one of us is faster?" He smiled. Speed was his forte, who cared about Suzaku's beauty or Genbu's strength. He could run around this island and be back before she blinked.

Suzaku patted him on his head and walked past him, "maybe you can show me your tricks later, kitty. I got more important matters to attend to." Byakko growled as he watched her sashay away. Once Suzaku was out of Byakko's eyesight she nearly collapsed. She was tired from both the jaunt, but also dodging each of Alexander's blows blast past her head. Those punches could shorten a person's lifespan.

She quickly straightened herself back up as she began to walk away. Shambling away like that wasn't beautiful! She just needed to regroup. She had grown tired and was in a bit of a tough spot for awhile, but she was coming back. She would just relax, drink a beautiful drink, then go out and crush some Marines. She pretended to crush something in her hand as she thought about it. The Marine had embarrassed her…he humiliated her with his overwhelming power. She'd make sure it was the last thing on his mind when she defeated him.

Her plan would be easy to initiate. She had already robbed him of one of his arms, she simply have to rob him of the other. It would be easy. She grabbed a hold of the air and shaped it around her to make her disappear once more behind the newly altered light. She was gone.

Byakko paced about on the deck of the ship. His talk with Suzaku had riled him up now. He wanted to go pound some of the people in and make sure they feared him, but now wasn't the time. They had just destroyed an entire ship filled with their friends and families. He'd have to simply satiate his hunger with something else for now. He leapt off of the island and stretched once more. He began cutting the air with his rapid-fast punches. The sound of his claws cut through the air like knives. He looked back up at the ship and frowned. Another wasted day down the drain as he noticed the setting sun beyond the ship.

Genbu moved past him with a crate hefted on his shoulders. Byakko was about to speak, but he shook his head as he remembered what Genbu became like at night. If Byakko's blood was boiling right now, Genbu's blood had turned to lava with anticipation of the night and he would be itching for something else to do rather than pound the sandbag.

* * *

><p>The excitement is picking up. Alexander has separated from the crew due to the friction, now what will they do against the upcoming pirate attack?<p> 


	74. Chapter 74 An Uneasy Night

**The Uneasy Night**

Alexander was basically alone in the gym. Night had fallen, and Stryder sent his men home to rest and relax. A tired army wouldn't do him any good in the upcoming battle against the pirates. Alexander chuckled to himself quietly as he realized this was the first time in awhile he had been alone at night. Normally Specter or Rina was just down the hall…or Hayate would wander in at some point in the night. He anxiously struck out against the punching bag once more as he really came to realize this. He wasn't afraid of it at all, it was just different.

Alexander's stopped the bag as he went over to grab another quick bite from the ramen bowl Stryder had left him. He had just gotten a chef on his crew where he could eat actual food, but he was soon kicked off of it and stuck eating cheap food like this again. Stryder had been nicer to him, ever since he found out about Alexander's recent falling out with his crew, possibly in hopes that Alexander would abandon the equality he gave to Rina and the other women and adapt to Stryder's opinions. He ignored that train of thought and focused on what Stryder had said when he delivered the bowl of cheap ramen.

Stryder had called him 'lucky'. The island's resources had been pretty much divided unequally due to the pirates' plundering. According to Stryder the women and children who were still alive weren't getting any food as luxurious as cheap ramen. They were eating scraps and the like. It was only the men, who were going to war with the pirates that were given these hefty meals. Alexander sighed as he looked on at the window.

It was those pirates damn fault! He returned his attention to the punching bag and immediately began pounding on it. It was their fault he was abandoned by his crew! It was their fault these good people had to go without food! He'd make sure that they paid! That was the Marines' job after all, making sure pirates like these get what they deserved.

He remembered his Satoshi falling down after Seth's brutal backstabbing and then he returned the favor. Satoshi didn't deserve death and Alexander gave Seth his thoughts on that subject. He made sure that Seth paid for his pre-emptive attack on Satoshi. Then Edward, Emyre, and even the Fiesta Pirates. Alexander made sure that they all got what they deserved…and he'd make sure that these pirates got it too.

"HEY! Alexander!" shouted Specter as he burst through the door and came waltzing in. Alexander quickly brought his fist down. He was a little bit on edge, he guessed. With his failed fight against Suzaku, he was probably a little bit worried about both his arm and the impending pirate attack. The ship had left the harbor, but that didn't mean anything. There was still a ship out there waiting to attack and ruin the lives of these good people.

"What are you doing here?" asked Alexander, remembering that Specter had just moments ago had barged into his 'room'. Alexander had returned to hitting the bag again, once more he was restricted to only using one hand, but it wasn't really slowing him down. The speed of his punches was still on par with most average fighters who used both arms. Specter just sat back and watched the bag fly around like a helpless rag doll.

Specter had come here after asking Rina what was going on between the two of them. He heard the entire conversation and what had happened and opted to come here and check up on his little buddy, but it seemed pointless. Alexander was hitting the sandbag at a good pace and he kept raising the tempo with it too. It appeared that the crew's worries were just stupid. Alexander could still keep on going strong. If anything he was actually doing better than he had previously done on their ship, possibly due to the lack of distractions.

Alexander struck out with his fist once more, stopping the bag mid-swing. He turned around and faced Specter once more. "Well, what are you doing here?" He was probably just here to tell him that Rina made the right choice in taking him off the team and tried to convince him to back down.

"Just checking up on you," said Specter, his eyes still on the bag. He guessed it was his experience as a sniper, but he found watching people smash the bag repeatedly interesting as heck. Shooting an ant between its antennae was boring for him, but a good old fist fight was still good. Alexander turned his back on him and returned to punching the bag. "Rina's worried about your arm," Specter brought up, he smirked as he noticed Alexander started going faster. "It is understandable seeing as how you got it hurt in the first place…how do you think you are going to fair with it injured?"

Specter's eyes went wide as he dove to the side as the bag flew by his head. Alexander's last punch had all of his power behind it; he had blown straight through it. The iron chain holding the bag up had broken from the seriously intent punch. "You've got it all wrong," said Alexander as he went over and picked the bag up and onto his shoulder. "The question is how well will my opponent fair. With my left arm injured I'll be throwing full-powered punches from start to finish. This fight…and this fight alone I'll be going at full throttle from the beginning."

Specter sighed as he didn't think Alexander quite got why he and Rina were worried. But he looked over at the pile of destroyed punching bags Alexander had gone through. It was possible. In the end his punches probably could kill someone who wasn't prepared for one. He took down Edward, a man whose strength allowed him to neutralize any man's strength and there was Seth who was strong enough to defeat three Marines in an instant. And Alexander was stronger than both of them…

Alexander resumed his exercise with increased enthusiasm. His punches sped up, each one smashed into the bag with renewed power. The amount of practice was frightening. Not just because with each punching bag he blew through Alexander probably grew stronger, but the fact that Alexander felt the need to exercise so much. Specter thought he had been taking his injury to lightly, but it was possible it was the exact opposite. His constant attacks on the punching bag were his way of working out the anxiety of the fight and possibly the worst outcome due to his ruined arm.

"Hey, I think I'll sleep here to-" Specter began, but he was cut off as Alexander looked over at him. He was still dripping in sweat and his breathing was ragged. However, he stopped punching the bag and instead he was glaring over at Specter while leaning into the bag, the anxiety he had for the fight seemed more like anger right now and it was all directed Specter, despite none of it being his fault. "I think I'll sleep here to…morrow?" A poor recovery, but given what he had Specter felt as if he did fairly well.

"Fine," said Alexander as he returned to his bag, kicking up the tempo once more with a new volley of punches. Alexander rotated around once more, bringing his fist all the way around and down at the same time he fired a punch. It solidly slammed into the bag and knocked it into the air once more. Specter smiled uncomfortably as he got up and left.

Specter closed the door carefully not wishing to upset Alexander, who was in a frenzy by now completely demolishing the bag with a never-ending chain of punches. He sighed as he turned around and almost right off the back leapt back with a scream. Reggie was standing in front of him, staring at him and at the door. "So, how is he?"

Specter wrinkled his lips into a half-hearted smile, "he's just practicing right now. If his opponent's a punching bag it'll be gone in two seconds." Even his joke has half-hearted. Reggie frowned as she took a step forward towards the door to check on him for herself. Specter intercepted her halfway though, smacking her hand away from the doorknob. Specter shook his head and redirected her towards the ship. Reggie felt uneasy to just turn around at this moment. She wanted to see what was happening behind those closed door. What face her captain was making at this decisive moment.

Rina stepped out from around the corner as she watched those two walk away. Just like them she had been drawn to see how Alexander was handling things. And why shouldn't she be? She was basically the one who put him there. If Alexander had hit rock-bottom, it was because she pushed him there. She looked back at the doors that separated her from her captain.

It is hard to imagine how far they've gotten…three failed missions. It was amazing that they hadn't been carted off back to Marine training school. She had to think that it was probably due to Veri Fresh. He had been pulling behind them all this time trying to support them. He probably was persuading the higher-ups to give them one more chance…or he may just not be reporting them. The more she thought about it the latter seemed to be the more likely scenario.

She remembered when Veri Fresh told her that she would be joining up with him. Back then a mixture of dread and excitement swelled in her as she thought of the future and all the excitement it would hold, but now it was just dread. She thought back to that day with Veri Fresh and why he had selected her to travel alongside Alexander. Almost immediately a single sentence from that date jumped to mind, "'_he's…unstable. See, Alexander is not a normal human. Void loved two things. Creating weapons and killing people. Over Alexander's time in the Marines we noticed…something. He was beginning to behave more like Void.'"_

Rina's eyes went wide as she remembered those words. Alexander…was unstable? She had never thought of it since then. She had almost forgotten all about it as it never came up. Fight after fight, mission after mission, Alexander always seemed the same. The thought of him being unstable just seemed so outlandish.

Alexander always came through in the pinch, but was it possible? Alexander had just been rejected by the Marines, the thing he lived for…no, the thing he was created for. Alexander was created for the sole reason of being a Marine and she just stripped him of that. It wasn't a welcoming thought.

For the time Rina chose to believe Specter's transparent lie, that Alexander was alright. Nothing was wrong with him, but if Veri Fresh's words were to be accepted at their base value then it was possible that tomorrow…tomorrow the Marine known as Alexander may no longer be in existence.

No! Rina pushed that thought back down and out of her mind. She took another deep breath as she looked back at the room where Alexander was without a doubt falling further and further away from them.

(-On the pirate ship-)

Byakko was tearing into the food. All of his manners had been destroyed after all this time at the sea, he was digging into a steak with his bare hands. Seiryu was the only one who bothered to eat with him. Genbu was riled up due to the night and Suzaku seemed busy elsewhere. Seiryu was the stark contrast of Byakko. He was sitting politely with a cup of tea in his hand while he watched Byakko rip into slice of meat after slice of meat.

"You seemed fairly riled up, what happened out on the island?" asked Seiryu. If he remembered correctly Suzaku was fairly off when she returned as well. He didn't understand what was going on he was stuck on the ship all day long. He felt like he was missing something of importance.

"The smell," said Byakko as he unloaded more seasoning onto his steak. "I didn't notice it at first due to the commotion from last night, but…it was there. The smell of a strong opponent." Byakko leaned back and took a whiff of the air. "It's the kind of smell that really gets your engine going. And it really whets my taste buds!" Byakko ripped through another steak.

* * *

><p>Well, it seems not all is well and good in Iron Hammer land, now is it? It seems more trouble is on the horizon just perfect for how things are going, huh? It seems like things just go from bad to worst. Not only are Rina and the crew going to be taking on the Pirate crew at a ratio of 3:4, but it seems they may have to take Alexander down as well if things get any worse.<p>

This chapter was Beta-Read by Labyrinth-Designer.


	75. Chapter 75 Training Before the Battle

**Training For the Battle**

Rina didn't sleep well at all that night. She was tossing and turning and kicking herself for whatever might happen to Alexander. She would have to take full blame if something bad happened to him. She was out walking with Hayate this early in the morning due to her damn mind wandering off and thinking about the horrors that could be going on right now.

She was pacing nervously on the dock. Every so often, she'd twist her head either out to sea to see if she could spot the pirates or to town to see if Alexander or another crew member was coming. Each time she did she was greeted by the same unopposed silence. Rina sighed as she looked back into town, she had no idea what to do now. She was at a lost. Without Alexander they were outnumbered, but even with him they still had a handicap.

What last resort did they have? Call Veri Fresh and have the pirates launch an impromptu attack on the island? How would that help them out? It would be like giving up at this point. She took another glance out over the sea. She knew one thing was true. There was no way she'd let Suzaku and Alexander fight again. She hated to admit it, but it was possible that Suzaku was the worst possible match-up for Alexander.

Alexander's main strength was his defense. No normal person could harm him due to his iron skin, but that didn't matter to Suzaku. Suzaku's Devil Fruit allowed her to bypass his solid and just twist and turn, manipulate Alexander's body into any shape she wanted. It was tricky, but if there was anyone in the West Blue capable of defeating Alexander it would be her. She could use her powers to disappear to avoid Alexander's punches, she could ignore his defenses, if it was just the two of them…Suzaku would probably win.

But that was why Rina promised herself right this instant that Suzaku would not meet with Alexander again! She'd find her first and she'd stop her! Rina's head snapped back to the sea and looked out over it, locking onto the horizon where the no-good pirates were probably staying. There were four of them…and Suzaku was hers. She didn't know anything else about the other three of them, but they were of no concern. No matter what other pirate it was Alexander could handle himself. She would take down Suzaku though.

(-with Specter and Reggie-)

Reggie had just finished making breakfast. She sighed as she looked over the four meals she had made. She accidentally made one for Alexander, while it was only her and Specter right now eventually Rina would come in and join them in the meal. She hoped Rina would be able to bring some more light to this day. Specter seemed to be in a pretty bad mood. He was silently munching on his eggs without saying anything to Reggie.

Finally, Specter's sigh broke the silence he was creating. "Alexander got beaten, right?" he asked as he stared down at his bacon. "I know he's not perfect, but can we beat them? They beat our captain…" Specter slunk down even farther into his chair until he was almost level with his plate. "Do we really stand a chance against these pirates? They came from the Grand Line, I've never even set foot into that sea before. Do we even stand a chance?"

Reggie paused as she looked down at Specter. She hadn't thought about that. She had been focusing on Alexander in a horrible situation, but now that Specter mentioned. It brought the truth to light, they were all in trouble. She had never thought about the pirate that DEFEATED Alexander. Her entire attention had been on her poor captain. But if the pirate really was capable of beating Alexander…then they were probably capable beating half of the Marines she knew. Reggie bit down sharply on her tongue. That fact was darkening in and of itself. She felt sick just considering that.

She moved forward towards the door. Her hand hesitated for a moment as she continued to think about what Specter had said…she wasn't going to go about and declare it, but she had a sinking feeling as was probably the weakest amongst them. Alexander was a captain for a reason, Rina had more battle experience than her, and Specter's gun easily made up for any power advantage Reggie may have had over him. She was new to the battle scene, her main weapon was a malfunctioning pistol and a frying pan. She sighed as she stepped forward. Her heart hurt as she continued to think about herself. She needed to train, she hated the thought that she may actually be the weakest Marine amongst them and she was going head-first into her first one-on-one battle with a real pirate on a real mission.

She shook her head and quickly grabbed her frying pan before heading out. She knew now wasn't the time for fun and games, she a Marine. This was her first real job as a Marine, it would be up to her stop these pirates. She had to pull her own weight. She'd go off and do her absolute best to take down the enemies. Alexander was training to the absolute of his abilities to make he didn't slow them down. She'd return the favor. She wasn't going to sit around and let him widen the gap that much.

Of course, she'd need a training partner. Luckily there was someone in this very town who the pirates admitted was their equal.

(-with Stryder-)

Stryder raised his eyebrow at Reggie's request. She wanted him to train her for the remainder of the week. It was true that the pirates weren't due back for another few days, but still embedding a lot of skill in some in such a short period of time would be nearly impossible…that was if he was willing to compromise his own beliefs to train a girl. "I'm sorry, miss, but I stand by what I said I won't train females," he said defiantly. "I don't believe that women and men both belong on the front lines. One should be protected, the other should protect." With that he plopped down into a chair and relax before he had to train his own men.

"I'm fighting whether you help me train or not!" declared Reggie with a swift sideways punch to the wall. "I'm gonna fight and I'm going to win, okay?" Reggie glared at Stryder with some of the most ferocious eyes he had ever seen. Most of his men put together didn't even seem to have the resolve that this one girl was bringing. Stryder laughed as he shook his head.

"I can't believe a girl like you has the guts to say something like that," he said in between chuckles, suddenly he dropped his laughter and put on a stone cold serious face, "but…I'm still not teaching you any." Stryder sighed and laid back in his chair. "My mother and father were both fighters. They were strong and kept at it. Defeating anyone who came at their island in the Grand Line. I was just a little boy then, so I couldn't quite comprehend it when she died, my mother. I was heart-broken. My father hit the drinking harder than all get out, he muttered over and over again about how it should've been him."

"Your mother would've been the same," stated Reggie looking at Stryder crossed. She couldn't tell if he was being honest with her about his poor family life or if this was just an elaborate ruse to try and get out of this conversation and out of training her. "If your father had died instead, your mother probably would've collapsed as well."

"The next day it repeated," said Stryder, "my father marched out into battle to defend our island from pirates. He did it again and again and again. My mother's death was a thing that weighed him down and propelled him further. He refused to surrender in the face of my mother's death. He, of course, died eventually. I feel bad enough putting men's lives on the line. Stealing the kids' fathers away from them, I refuse to let their mother's die on the battlefield as well."

"That reason only works if I die!" shouted Reggie, "and I won't die!" Then again Reggie supposed it also only worked if she was a mother. "Just give me a chance, one fight. Me and you, if I impress you, you teach me!"

"Hah!" Laughed Stryder as he stood up from his chair and moved up in front of Reggie, glaring down at her, "You honestly expect me to bite that obvious bait. Fine!" Stryder pushed Reggie aside and moved past her. He quickly grabbed his spear and waved it in her face. "You have one attack. One opportunity to hit me, but if I dodge it, block it, or anything of the sort. You'll leave me, got it!?"

Reggie slowly nodded. She only got one attack, there would be no second chances against this man during this fight. It would be like a real fight…one wrong move, one wasted attack could prove fatal. Especially against these pirates from the Grand Line. It would be the perfect training, better than hitting the sandbag a thousand times. "I accept!"

Stryder separated the two of them with a leap back, he produced his long spear and shouted "begin!" Reggie was about to rush in, but remembering that she only got one attack, she held back. If she rushed in and got swept up in the heat of the moment and wasted it, she would be the one in trouble not Stryder. Stryder smirked as he watched her and slowly began to circle her like a shark. Reggie kept up with him, making smaller turns in the center.

Stryder's long spear shot out at her, aiming to take her head with a single shot. Reggie brought her frying pan up and deflected the thrust to the side. She was amazed, taken away by the killing intent behind Stryder's first shot. She couldn't believe he would put it all on the line like that. It was as if he was actually trying to kill her. It seemed ridiculous to believe that, but…but that was what it seemed like to her. The thrust was fast, powerful, and directly aimed for her head. If it had hit, it would've pierced her left eye it seemed like.

Of course, that first thrust from Stryder was gone yet. One after another, each thrust came crashing through at even higher speeds, blending together to form one perfect onslaught, combining both power and speed. It was all Reggie could do to keep up with him. She swatted the spear away with her frying pan, trying to keep the motion small and drain on her arm even smaller. Each attack barely deflected the spear outside of her and away from her body. Stryder began to step in more, increasing the power, range, and speed of each thrust. Reggie's swings gradually grew wider to match with the better thrust.

Reggie parried one of the thrusts to the side and stepped in to get closer to Stryder, from there she swept her frying pan up, placing the frying pan at the neck of the spear and moving in. Stryder to wrench his spear free, but the bulbous head kept clashing with the frying pan, making it impossible for him to retract his spear to his side. However, he still had one weapon left…his own two hands. He stepped forward, foregoing the use of his spear and moved in to meet with Reggie in the middle. They both struck out. Reggie's frying pan, swinging inwards with Stryder swinging his fist upwards. For a brief moment the two warrior's eyes met, each certain of their own victory.

She slid in, taking several steps forward all at once. She focused all of her power on her frying pan and brought it around. Stryder's arm was busy punching, his spear was completely blocked, and if she was going to land an attack now would be her best hope.

* * *

><p>Eh, lame title. I know, but hopefully the fact that this is a bonus chapter will make up for it. Officially speaking tomorrow will make the two year anniversary for Iron Hammer. 75 Chapters in two years seems kind of small though. Hopefully, I made up for it in quality! Keep on reading and reviewing.<p> 


	76. Chapter 76 From Training to

**From Training to a Last Ditch Plan**

Reggie was flat on her butt in a number of seconds with Stryder standing over her. His breath had the slightest hint of surprise as if he wasn't quite expecting what happened. He shrugged it off and put his long pole weapon back away and began to walk away from the poor downed girl. Reggie stumbled to her feet and lashed out, grabbing hold of Stryder's shirt and nearly pulling it back down to the ground with her when she fell.

Stryder turned around to face her, but he didn't bother to catch her. "If you wanna fight like a man, accept defeat like one first." Reggie refused to back down as a matter of fact; she grabbed higher up Stryder's shirt and pulled herself up to her own two feet. Her legs were still shaky, but she didn't seem to mind. "I hit the tip of your chin," said Stryder as he pushed her away again, "a strong hit shakes your brain making something as simple as standing…" Stryder simply tapped Reggie's forehead and her entire body collapsed to the ground, "very difficult."

"You only gave me one shot…one chance at hitting you! No human can complete such an insane test! Especially when they come to you asking for you to train them! If I could hit you easily, I wouldn't need you to help me out!" shouted Reggie as she began wailing her fists forward and into Stryder's legs. Stryder looked down at her and shook his head in shame. "Train on your time. I got men out there to take care of." Stryder left without anything more to say.

Once outside he double-checked his head. There was a throbbing pain in it. The damn woman's frying pan came smashing into the side of his head. There was a sharp cracking sound when it hit, but that nothing at least nothing now. Regardless of his own injuries their island was about to attacked. He needed to focus on training and then on battling. If his own body needed to be abused to do so, so be it. He wasn't about to waste that time training some woman.

He nearly collapsed as he took another step forward. He felt the warm trickle of blood slid down the side of his head. He tried to steady himself again, but he couldn't. He slammed his own pole into the ground and used it as a third leg. If he was still in his prime, he probably wouldn't have been as affected by that swing, but he couldn't. He was tired already and bleeding. He just needed to teach the guys to shoot straight and then he could go back to his home and take a day off.

He looked over at the early arrivals and their pathetic attempts. The first thing he noticed was the harpoons that were buried in the ground. Their aim was horrible; each and every harpoon had missed their shot. It was obvious that this was going to be an all-day practicing session. He sucked in his gut, accepted his punishment for lying to Reggie, and headed off to the mind-numbing task of training idiots.

(-With Alexander-)

Alexander stretched back again as he tried to wait a little while longer. His fist was still throbbing from misuse of it earlier. He moved across the room, trying to resist going back to the punching bag. He was worn out from his previous rather excessive pounding of it. He was just trying to remain calm and not tear into it anymore. He needed to rest his entire body for the upcoming fight with the pirates, he was fairly confident in his own strength to defeat the pirates with little difficulty.

He tightened his focus as he turned away from the punching bag and to the door. Waiting for the pirates to decided enough was enough and come to attack was probably worst than actually fighting the pirates. Both teams had failed to take care of their respective pirates, why were they not cocky and charging into the city at this moment? They were apparently cocky enough to come in and attack the island in the first place as well as allow a possibly fully manned crew of Marines onto the island. As far as Alexander could see, they were nothing but cocky.

Alexander took another deep breath, buried his working fist into the wall once more in a vain effort to calm down. Ordinarily he would probably play a game with Specter or Rina to calm down, but it looked like even that wasn't working. He was growing more bored with each and every passing minute. This definitely wasn't good for him, he looked back at the wall, which had just wrongfully received his wrath and began pacing.

The more he paced the louder his own thoughts seemed to become. At first the same thoughts as last night resurfaced just the general hate for all things pirates. They deserved to be locked up in jail and punished for the crimes they have done against this island and against him, but after awhile those thoughts dulled and blurred into the distance leaving Alexander with thoughts about the Marines.

Surely they weren't as squeaky clean in this as Alexander had originally thought. After all, it was Rina that had forced him off of their ship, exiled him all by himself, and left him alone with his thought. But then again could Rina really be the sole problem with the Marines? What about Specter and Reggie? His two 'nakama', neither of whom particularly seemed to be jumping to his defense, coming to his little bunker and telling him they talked sense into Rina? They apparently seemed content to have kicked him out of their lives.

Maybe rather than just the pirates, maybe he should go after them as well. Alexander mused with the idea as he returned to his punching bag. Their first meetings hadn't quite been pleasurable. Rina attacking him, Hayate peeing on his bed, Specter trying to convince him that the best way to get Rina to like him was to kiss her, and Reggie whopping him aside his head…multiple times.

Alexander's fist blew into the punching bag, sending it almost vertically towards the ceiling. He couldn't help, but laugh at such a notion. The thought was so wrong it was laughable…but for some reason that in and of itself didn't help quench Alexander's rage for them. He still felt betrayed by his closest comrades. He still felt like he had been the one that was sold out and dejected.

(-With Specter-)

Specter placed one Pop Grenade into his launcher, took it out, polished it, placed it back, and then repeated the process. He was nervous about the upcoming fight like everyone else and right now as it currently stood there was definitely a horrible sense of tension in the air. Rina had locked herself away in her own room to think about her next decision, a decision that Specter was left out of.

Then there was also Alexander who had been kicked out and was off by himself, probably destroying yet another sandbag. Specter supposed he was right to be worried about him; his own captain was off busy doing something he probably shouldn't be doing with a twisted arm. Specter was just trying to pass time while he waited for dinner.

This posed another problem. Reggie had left him almost all alone since breakfast…Specter was now left without a professional chef for lunch. He tried slapping together a soggy sandwich, but it didn't look even close to as appetizing as his breakfast. He choked it down and return to the important matter of doing nothing, absolutely nothing. He reloaded his launcher for the umpteenth time as he began to think about the pirates out there.

He turned around; setting his launcher down for once and picked up the bounties he had obtained on the pirates. He flipped through the pages, stopping on Suzaku for a split moment just to admit to himself that she did look pretty good, especially for a pirate. Genbu and Seiryu didn't spark any interest for him, but for some reason Specter paused hovering over Byakko's profile once more. The story of Byakko's past was one that troubled him.

He remembered reading about it in the papers, maybe that was why he paused on Byakko's poster, but something told him that there was something missing. One last bit of information that had been left out from the papers or possibly something that was purposefully removed from the paper? Even if it was just a haunting suspicion Specter couldn't shake it. As a gambling man Specter trusted his gut more than he trusted his own two eyes. If something was wrong his gut would tell him and something told him, he didn't have the full story when it came to Byakko.

(-With Rina-)

Rina paced back and forth for another few seconds as she carelessly looked over her shoulder at a Den-Den Mushi that she had left out. She had thought these things through, but she was starting to second guess her own thoughts. This was something that Alexander would…no, this wasn't just risky, it was downright stupid. It was something that never would've crossed her mind; it should never have crossed her mind. She looked back over at the table and the small Den-Den Mushi.

She was almost positive that the pirates had wire-tapped the island. They had a Den-Den Mushi that grabbed any signals another Den-Den Mushi put out there and was listening to whatever anyone said on any Den-Den Mushi on the island. This means that if she called Veri Fresh, the pirates would listen in and hear everything she said. So, she could tell them whatever she wanted, that they were a battalion of Marine ships on the island right this very instant.

Then again that was rather a ridiculous notion. She knew she couldn't scare them away; these were pirates with the guts to charge into the Grand Line. Would they really shy away from a hundred Marine ships? Probably not, which made her return to her original strategy…calling them out. Rather than try to scare them away and go against their pirate nature. Call them out to the island and ask them to come fight with her. It was a reckless plan…it was her original plan. Her original plan was to ask them to come here and duke it out with them. Of course, since they would be fighting on their turf, it would tip the balance in their favor. Not by much, but based on what happened to Alexander it was just what they needed an unexpected tip in their favor.

She couldn't think of any other method to do so. Both sides were basically in the dark about their opponents and both sides probably had comparable strength and numbers. They had already wasted the element of surprise with the failed attack on Suzaku…this meant they needed a new thing. A new element needed to be added to the pot.

Rina's had crept forward to the Den-Den Mushi and she wrapped her hands around it. It was like selling the entire island down the river if she was wrong. If she was wrong…then the pirates would come here, storm around for a few seconds and try to deal as much damage to the town as physically possible just for the heck of it. There would be no going back if she made the call.

Then again Alexander needed a doctor and fast. They couldn't just leave, dooming the island, but the doctors on this island were dead. Their old offices had been part of the island that had been burned to the ground. They needed a doctor and they needed to get going if they were going to make it in time before any complications make themselves obvious. Rina nodded as she sat down and stared at the Den-Den Mushi laid out in front of her. Her hand reached for it.

Her hand dialed the number, she took a deep breath as she tried one last time to rationalize herself out of it, "H-Hello, may I speak to Rear A-Admiral Veri Fresh."

* * *

><p>Another chapter out for Iron Hammer and it seems like Rina is taking matters into her own hands. and I suppose she should considering how she did kind of kick Alexander off of the crew. The rest of them all seem to be busying themselves with their own thoughts. Kind of makes you wonder. Is Rina acting without the consent of her crew?<p> 


	77. Chapter 77 That's The Plan!

**The Plan!?**

"Hello!" sung Veri Fresh's voice as it boomed across the Den-Den Mushi and into Rina's ear after he finally picked it up. "Is this the lovely Rina Mitsukomi Chiran?" Veri Fresh paused for a few seconds as he waited for a response. Whether it was intentional or by pure accident the moment Rina decided to respond was the same moment Veri Fresh continued speaking. "I appreciate the call. I've been so lonely lately! My little daughter is off in the Grand Line participating in a dreadful mission and everyone else here avoids me for some reason, it's just so pleasant to have a listening ear. I mean I've been so lonely, maybe when this mission is done you can come back here and we can have nice talk over tea. It would be just lovely!"

"This l-line is tapped," cut in Rina as quickly as she could before Veri Fresh managed to take another breath and continue his rambling. There was another hanging pause in the air as Veri Fresh computed this information and Rina waited his response. This time as soon as Veri Fresh was going to respond to Rina's words Rina bounced back, "I'm s-sorry sir, but you must understand it is for the good of the mission, Alexander is…" Rina paused for a second. If she said Alexander was badly injured the pirates would sense this as a desperate last ditch effort, she needed to string Veri Fresh along if she was going to string the pirates along as well.

Rina took a deep breath and continued, "a-anxious. He wants to fight with these pirates as soon as a possible." She took another break and this time rather than directing her attention to Veri Fresh she specifically called out the pirates, "Byakko. If I understand this r-right, you are the captain, right?" She took a shot in the dark. The papers never called any one of them out as a 'captain', the very least she could hope for was for them to fight over this news and break apart any team dynamics they have.

Veri Fresh was still on the other line and he was listening intently to Rina's plan. He had already put together some very important pieces of information, first off something was wrong Alexander. He didn't know what, but Rina specifically mentioned his name. If he had his guess, it would be that Alexander was injured. Veri Fresh was already flipping through the papers trying to find a doctor to send over to them just in case.

Secondly, Veri Fresh understood that Rina was acting without approval of Alexander and possibly Specter and Reggie. He knew that Alexander wouldn't stay quiet if they were calling out the pirates and the same could be said for Specter. Which only made Veri Fresh worry more and more. If something was wrong with Alexander and whatever her plan was was being done without his approval furthered his concern for meant that this rash and horrible plan was Rina's idea.

This brought Veri Fresh to his third conclusion. They were in trouble. Rina wasn't a rash person, she was never as calm as he or other Marines were, but she was clear-headed and rational. The fact that this was apparently her idea made Veri Fresh worry like he had never worried before. Rina would pick one of the top two possible courses of action, if this was the second then they were in trouble…if it was the first then they might just be doomed. Nonetheless, Veri Fresh took a deep breath and listened intently to Rina's declaration of war against the pirates.

"Here's the deal," said Rina calmly trying to maintain control over the situation. She didn't want to seem rash; she wanted them to see her as the one in control. "We'll fight you on equal ground. Come to the part of the island that you burnt down and we'll have it out. What do you say?" She took her final breath as she rethought her plan. The location, calling them out, everything was being done with a simple goal in her mind. Her aim was right there, clear as day.

She specified that location for two reasons. The first and most important reason was to protect the villagers, she didn't want them getting dragged into this awful mess. However, she admitted that there was another reason for a specified location. It was to stop Alexander from intruding. If he came into the fight before it ended, he would just get hurt even worse. He was injured he had no place on the front lines. She'd take them on in the specified location along with Reggie and Specter. It would be three-on-four, but she was trained to take down pirates.

A sudden burst of feedback cut onto the line forcing Rina to knock the Den-Den Mushi away and cover her ears. The Den-Den Mushi clashed to the floor as it slowly changed. The face of the Den-Den Mushi was different; it no longer had Veri Fresh's goofy expression and weird hairdo. It was a much more solemn expression. "One of the pirates is here. Here you were trying to talk to us and here we were incapable of talking back it wasn't quite fair was it. It took us awhile to hijack this phone line, but we are here now. I'm glad I get to have a conversation with another person."

"May I ask which pirate I have the pleasure of speaking with?" asked Rina as she tenderly moved her hand away from her ears. There was still a low hum of feedback due to the hacking of the line. She got comfortable…this was the calm before the storm. There wouldn't be anything pleasant to remember about this the next day while she was fighting for her life against whoever was on the other end. It didn't sound like Suzaku and she remembered Byakko's voice from when they were spying on them. It didn't sound like his attitude.

"It's Genbu," introduced the voice in a low almost roar-like tone. "I'm the one in charge of keeping an eye of the wire-tapping Den-Den Mushi right now…although it is not my turn…Suzaku never showed up to take her shift." Rina was a little bit shocked at the tone he used. He sounded so sad about that, that she wanted to volunteer to take the next shift.

"I'm…sorry?" said Rina into the Den-Den Mushi. "I suppose you four will have no complaints about this, right?" There was quiet muttering on the other side. It sounded like Genbu was talking to himself about how to handle this new information.

"I'm fine with it." The sad and pathetic tone that he had just moments ago had been replaced with a much more confident voice. "I don't much like attacking unsuspecting villages, that's the way Byakko and Sieryu prefer it. I find it wrong." Rina perked up at that. Maybe this guy wasn't bad, maybe he was like Stryder! Another innocent civilian roped into being a pirate by those evil Neanderthals. She was just about to offer him an out when she heard the next low rumble come across the Den-Den Mushi.

"I prefer the direct approach." Genbu's voice once more rolled in the lowest registry there is. His voice captured Rina's breath, trapped her voice back in her mouth, silencing her as she remained fixated on listening to Genbu's words. "I like it when you go head-to-head with someone. Just crushing their bodies, reducing their bones to ash, their flesh to jelly, that could be done by anyone. But to completely quash their hopes, their dreams, their desires, all in one shot that's the thrill I live for. That's what gets my blood rushing through my veins." Rina waited for a few more seconds to past before she finally recovered from the shock of that man's low voice telling her the hideous tale.

When Rina finally found her voice she found herself with a lack of responses. How exactly do you respond to the harrowing tale that Genbu had just laid out for her? Since she couldn't respond Genbu continued with his lecture. "It is quite amazing. Not the watching the light extinguish, but the actually act of bludgeoning someone to death. Watching their liquids ooze out of their bodies, if you apply enough pressure it's not just the liquid that comes out. Organs can actually eek out as well. Have you ever seen a lung come squeezing out of…"

"SHUT UP!" shouted Rina loudly into the Den-Den Mushi, "I am not a fan of pirates, I find them despicable in the worst sense of that word, but you and your friends have piqued a special interest in me. I will make sure you will leave this island either in handcuffs…or in body bags!" Rina wasn't quite sure how that sentence was going to end and she'd rather them leave in handcuffs, but those words just kind of naturally flowed out of her. She waited a little bit longer, on the other end of the line, Genbu was probably just as shocked as Rina was just mere moments ago. Finally Genbu found his voice and was about to talk back, but Rina slammed the Den-Den Mushi shut before he did.

Rina let loose a heavy sigh. She slumped into the chair and took a deep breath, trying to regain a steady stream of breath. She had been shocked and was trying to recover her head. Negotiations with pirates weren't unheard of in a Marine's duty, but they weren't common and this was definitely the first time she had ever done one. Especially with someone who seemed as well-mannered and as reasonable as Genbu had seemed at the beginning and then to be flipped completely on its top. She was taken back and she was just catching her breath.

The Den-Den Mushi suddenly rang again, throwing Rina for a loop and nearly knocking her back. Her hand slowly crept back up and answered it, "He-hello?" she asked half-expecting the low rumbling voice of Genbu to return. Instead it was the happy, cheery, headache-inducing tone of Veri Fresh. His unbridled enthusiasm basically rang across the Den-Den Mushi, shattering Rina's eardrums with his very first words.

"HELLO RINA-CHAN!" his voice rang out. Surely if Rina had any hatred for authority or just Veri Fresh himself, she would've hung the Den-Den Mushi up and made sure it wouldn't receive any more calls from him for the rest of her days. But she didn't. She instead sucked it up and dredged through Veri Fresh's nonstop, yet very happy chattering. "It's a beautiful plan! Something that Alexander himself, probably wouldn't have even considered. What happened to him, why didn't he call me? Oh, never mind the pirates are listening so this can't be as friendly of a chat as I would like it to be. Oh, that reminds me you will never believe what little Jeffrey did today. Oh, Jeffrey is my dog, I got him ever since Mary Fresh grew too old to be her daddy's little girl. Jeffrey is doing a wonderful job…"

Rina put the Den-Den Mushi away, clicking it close. She got up and left the room. If the question was raised later about why she demonstrated such disrespect for her superior she'd explain it away as a more important issue had come up or maybe she'd just blame it on Alexander. It was sort of his fault that she was making the call after all…no, that's not right. She was the one that pushed him to the brink. She'd just finish off the pirates and then she'd…do something about Alexander. She wasn't going to apologize for her decision as it was right, but she couldn't exactly scold him for his behavior.

However, before she thought about that there was a more pressing matter. The pirates currently outnumbered them. It was her, Reggie, and Specter versus a whole slew of devastating pirates. Was there a way to even those odds as well? Hayate barked loudly as if offering his services. Rina shook her head, but friendly patted him on the head. "It's okay, Hayate," she said as reclined back in Alexander's chair and looked around his office. "We'll manage somehow."

* * *

><p>New Poll located on my profile page! Who amongst Iron Hammer cast is your favorite? Vote now!<p>

Things certainly don't look promising for the crew. It seems like Rina is going off on her own half-cocked plan that nobody else would've considered (or agreed to). However, you got to admire her guts in doing so, she has taken over the crew in Alexander's forced vacation and she is doing so quite well. Only time will tell if she can actually handle the stress in doing so.


	78. Chapter 78 the First Battle

**The First Battle...and the First Lost**

The four pirates were at the agreed meeting place bright and early. They didn't trust Rina to say the least so they wanted to get here early and make sure no hidden land mines had been placed about the battlefield. After a thorough search they were pleased that it was completely empty…well most of them were pleased. Byakko was visibly pissed off. He was storming about, kicking up dirt, tossing around chunks of the destroyed buildings. "Why do we have to do this with Marines!?" he shouted, "I say we just march into town and slaughter them, why do we have to treat them like they are on the same level as us?"

"Relax, Nyakko," mocked Suzaku as she ran her hands through her hair once more pulling it out of her face. "It is nothing big." She wasn't too fond of meeting with them again. She knew she could handle them, but if they told her partners that she ran from them, Byakko would never let her hear the end of it. She shrugged it off and moved on. "Let's just meet with them, hand them their ugly butts, and move on by decimating the island. I know how much you like to do that you little kitty cat."

"Shut it!" roared Byakko sliding a metal gauntlet onto his left and right hands. They were obviously built for offense and speed, rather than defense. They were simply metal braces with long and thin metal blade extending from each and every knuckle. "If you wanna go, we can go right now! You'll be a nice warm up before the big fight with the Marines!"

"We've done things your way for awhile now," said Suzaku with a grin as she looked over at Genbu who was sitting down, patiently waiting for the Marines to show up. His intently staring at the building. It looked like he didn't even notice Byakko's outage. He seemed to be absorbed in something else entirely. "Let's do it Genbu's way this time, okay?" Byakko growled quietly. He didn't much like Suzaku, but he didn't have any beef with Genbu at all. He was a good hand on the ship so Byakko quieted down for his sake.

"Fine," he said with a grumble. Byakko crouched down and impatiently began drawing circles with his claws in the ashes. "It's been forever. I know Marines are the lowest of the low in the animal kingdom, but the very least they could do is learn how to tell time! Its morning! Come on out and face us you dogs!" Byakko roared.

There was a brief moment as Byakko could make out some figures on the horizon. Four shadowy outlines on the horizons were gradually growing bigger. Byakko leapt to his feet, "OH, yeah!" he screeched pumping his arm up into the air as he looked out over there. "It is about time those lazy dogs showed up around here. Come on, bring it on!" Byakko's entire body anxiously bobbed up and down in sheer anticipation for the new fighters. He had a cruel smile plastered on his face, showing his sharp fangs off as he looked on at the approaching opponents.

Rina arrived at the scene first. She was a bit shocked that the pirates were already here. She looked down at the ground at scanned the area for the same reasons the pirate scanned it. She was expecting a trap. It was almost a friendly competition between two opposing teams, they had both accepted the terms of the fight here, but they were both expecting each other to somehow cheat to win. Although the prize of this competition were the lives of the other team.

Behind Rina followed Specter and Reggie. They were both visibly worried. Alexander wasn't a part of their little army, while they both had a welling sense of Marine pride in their own abilities; they felt the slightest trepidation against these opponents. They were tested and proven by the Grand Line itself. Why wouldn't they fear a welling sense of fear. Specter nervously fingered his crossbow, ready for a counterattack the instant the pirates moved. Meanwhile Reggie's teeth were firmly clenched on her tongue.

Rounding out there group to put them at an even level was Stryder. He was admittedly outraged when he heard Rina's plan, even more outraged when he heard that Rina had done so without his permission. The fact that he was fighting alongside two girls and trigger-happy guy was just the latest insult upon his pride. However, when it came down to protecting his homeland, throwing away his pride was a small price.

"How about a one-on-one fight?" offered Genbu, finally standing up and locking eyes with his opponent. Rina remembered his low rumbling voice from the Den-Den Mushi. Hearing it again definitely didn't calm down, especially not when he continued, "we'll keep going until one side is completely out of usable fighters. Deal?" His entire body was hidden behind his heavy armor, but Rina got the sense that he had a cocky and cruel smile beneath his helmet. Regardless Rina nodded, agreeing to his statement, an all-out war definitely wasn't too their advantage. "Then it is settled. Who's going first?" Genbu turned his attention to his crew, who in turn turned their attention Byakko.

"No," he said like a spoiled child who refused to eat his vegetable. "The weakest member goes first! That's the rule! That's how all fights are settled! Weak, second weakest, then strongest! After you guys get your butts handed to you in the fight against these guys, I'll come in and clean-up after you."

"Silly, Nyakko," mocked Suzaku with a strong hint of annoyance hanging in her voice. "Silly, stupid Nyakko…Silly, stupid, ugly, Nyakko, it is age before beauty, so obviously I can't go first. I nominate you, after all you are the ugliest, oops, I mean oldest." Byakko jumped to his feet and brought his claw forward for Suzaku's neck. The two continued bickering like school children when Genbu stepped forward.

"I'm fine with going first," said Genbu as he pulled out his weapon, a large club. He swung it up and into the air, having it rest on his shoulders. "I'm the one that got us into this mess. I'll be the one to get us out. Just…don't complain when if I don't leave anything left for you Byakko." This caught Byakko's attention as he dropped the fight with Suzaku and focused on Genbu and the Marines.

"Let me handle the first fight," demanded Stryder, taking a step towards the group of pirates. Genbu's shoulders slumped as he saw his opponent. "After all he was the one who beat me last time." Stryder spun his spear around and brought it to a fighting stance. The long neck of the staff jutted out of his hand and was aimed at Genbu's head.

Genbu chuckled. He felt a little bit of boredom creep up on him as he looked over at his opponent, a man who he had previously beat. He felt slightly insulted by the fact that he thought a week's worth of training would bring him to a level strong enough to win the rematch, but…he wasn't going to hold back against him. The faint glimmer of hope had been rekindled behind Stryder's eyes and he was going to enjoy extinguishing it once again.

A quick thrust from Stryder marked the beginning of their match. There was a slight twist to his attack adding more speed and destructive force behind the spearhead. Genbu swiveled to the side and watched as the weapon flew by his head. He let out a quiet chuckle as he noticed the lack of difference between him now and him during their last exchange. He was the same. Genbu's heavy club suddenly blasted through the air with a nearly untouchable force behind it. Stryder managed to sway back to avoid it, but he still he felt the wind around the club blow into him and that alone was capable of reminding Stryder of what made him lose last time.

Stryder gritted his teeth and ducked beneath Genbu's last swing as he was still recovering he bolted inwards to Genbu's chest. He let loose a barrage of thrusts straight for Genbu's breast plate. Genbu brought his two arms down and brought them together in a guard. His spear struck his armored arms, the armor dented from Stryder's forceful thrusts. Genbu leaned forward, bringing his massive self over Stryder. He leaned in and fired a downwards head butt for Stryder. Stryder rotated around brought his spear up and in between them using it to block the head butt. Genbu struck out from that awkward position with a quick elbow up into Stryder's gut. He was sent back, but the new distance between them didn't seem to perturb Genbu.

He stepped in without too much haste, but enough speed to quickly cover the ground. He swept his club up into the air and then without hesitating, he brought his club down. The heavy weapon smashed into the ground where Stryder once stood. However, thanks to his training as well as lithe build Stryder barely managed to dodge to the outside of Genbu. Genbu kept pace with Stryder despite the difference in speed. Stryder's rapid-fire thrusts were all to no avail, with small side-to-side movements and quick rotations Genbu managed to avoid each thrust.

One of Stryder's thrust blasted towards Genbu, he quickly swerved to the side, rotating his entire body. Capitalizing on the movement he was already performing, Genbu brought his club swinging around at an incredibly powerful and fast speed. Stryder couldn't quite avoid it, his speed was still forcing him to hyper extend his arm, he couldn't avoid the blow and felt it as the swing buried itself in his rib-cage. Stryder's face contorted in pain as he tried to remain conscious.

He struck out one last time with his fleeting consciousness, the hooked end of his spear grabbed a hold of Genbu's helmet. Using the momentum from Genbu's own swing, he pulled on the helmet with an incredible amount of power. The helmet's grip on Genbu's head proved useless as it was yanked free from him, revealing Genbu's true face to all.

Immediately anyone could tell that Genbu wasn't human. He was a Fishman, but that alone didn't quantify the horrified gasps from both crews. His face wasn't normal even for the other bipedal species of the sea. It was horribly disfigured. His bottom jaw was huge with sharp jagged teeth of random length jutting out from it. His nose had been squashed and pressed in deep into his own skull. His eyes were larger than they should've been and the right eye was even a little bit higher than the left. There was a small dent located on the left side of his skull. Further up the skull there was an appendage that stretched straight up from it and from it dangled a small glowing bulb. Weird strangles of hair grew from his skull like a child's patchwork. Small blotches of different colored skin lined his cheeks.

He paused for a few seconds as he looked around at both his crew and his opponent, he was breathing raggedly. "So, you all know the goddamn truth now, huh?" He bent down and ripped a piece of a destroyed building out of the ground and chucked it at his crew. "Did my good looks take your breath away?" Even his own crew seemed shocked by his appearance. "My family was known for their good-looks you know. My mother was the most beautiful Angelfish mermaid in all the land, my father was a hardworking Fishman with a body to die for. They fell in love and had two beautiful daughters…along with me. I took my mother's Angelfish traits along with my father's Fishman heritage. A cross-breed of sorts. Needless to say I didn't get either one of their good-looks

"Of course, you can imagine my family's shame. Two beauties breed the beast!" Genbu continued as he growled at his own crew. "They beat me! Treated me like trash! Daily whooping for the ugly son! Put me to work like a mule…until I snapped. I may not have inherited their lovely looks, but I did inherit my father's muscles and then some. Those daily whooping toughened my skin, crushed my heart, turned me into the monster that I look like. I crushed them like feeble ants! I continue to crush everyone in my path! Everyone who stands in my way! Until I get my fill of blood and violence! I want revenge on them for turning their backs on me! I'll keep killing until I feel satisfied!"

Genbu's head snapped to the side as a metal pan came crashing into it. Genbu was a little unsteady on his feet for a few seconds as he tried to rebalance himself from that surprise attack. He turned his head around and laid his eyes on his attacker, Reggie, who was calming walking up to him again. "I don't really care about how you look. I just want you to pay for your crimes."

"Heh, good," said Genbu as he straightened up, "but first let me get rid of this trifling suit of armor. It has been hindering my movement for quite some time now." Genbu slid out of the armor, revealing his body. It was exactly as you would've expected from his tale. It was the body of a man with incredible power. Muscles on top of muscles and Reggie had volunteered to fight it.

* * *

><p>Jack has temporarily taken the place of Alexander to make this a four-on-four fight, but as we can see...its definitely not going in their favor with him being wiped out so easily. But it looks like Reggie steps up to the plate and it ready to take a swing at it, but Genbu definitely doesn't look like he's the type of guy to take it easy on a girl.<p> 


	79. Chapter 79 The Ugly Fight

**The Ugly Fight**

"Who knew that Genbu was so…ugly, so hideous," said Suzaku as she looked over at her nakama, who was currently face-to-face with Reggie. The two of them slowly began circling each other, but that didn't stop Suzaku from hurling insults at her own crew member, "so terribly gross looking, so deformed, so unbeautiful, so tear-inducing."

"Shut it," growled Byakko from his spot on the ground, he still had stood up or lightened up from them asking him if he wanted to go first. "I don't care much for your attitude. Genbu couldn't help becoming ugly, he was born with it. And thanks to that one little snowball, it rolled into this," Byakko gestured with his hand towards the fight, "if it wasn't for that he would never have become a pirate. He would've lead a normal life. But someone forced him down this path because of something he had no control over. It's a shame that you care more about his looks than his life."

"I concur with the cat," agreed Seiryu as he sat down on the ground, he wouldn't be fighting for awhile. Genbu's strength would either flatten all of their opponents or his stamina would make the fights last a long time. He would just relax. "Besides, don't forget that Genbu is worthwhile member to this crew. His strength and devotion to this crew really helped us out. He's also the one that detected that ship that tried to flee this island."

The truth was during the night and during the day, Genbu was swimming laps around the island surveying for possible ships trying to flee. When he found one he crushed it with a mighty swing of his club. It is what happened to Jack's ship. However, a Marine ship wasn't taken into the equation. Seiryu had forgotten the fact that the bottoms of their ships were coated in seastone. They had the same qualities as the sea around them. As a result from Genbu's location underwater he couldn't sense them sailing above him and allowed their ship to sail straight into the dock without ever taking notice. It was how the Marines managed to avoid Sea Kings and it looked like it helped them avoid someone just as deadly.

His attention was immediately pulled back into the fight as Reggie struck out with her frying pan. She ducked beneath Genbu's mighty bulk and swung upwards aiming for his newly revealed chin. Genbu chuckled, he lifted his knee upwards, nearly smashing it into Reggie's chest as she swerved to the side to avoid it. She was about to back up again, but immediately dove right back towards Genbu chest. Genbu released a heart attack-inducing swing with his club. Reggie dove beneath it again and moved in, ramming her shoulder against Genbu's gut. He chuckled at the light tackle the young Marine officer gave him.

She swung inwards with the hilt of her frying pan again, smashing it into Genbu's solid abdomen. Pulling her frying pan back again and then smashing it into the solid body again and again, over and over again she tried to get a rise out of the pirate. But it was all in vain. The Fishman swung his elbow down and for Reggie's head, forcing her to swerve to the side out of the way and increase the distance between them. Genbu brought his club down for Reggie's head, she dove to the side avoiding the crushing blow, he stepped in again and swung again. The sound of the large object cutting through the air could be heard for miles around as it zeroed in at Reggie's head.

Another head duck brought the young chef's head out of the danger zone. "Why is she doing that?!" complained Specter from the sideline, worrying that his breakfast was in danger. He'd step in before Reggie died, but that didn't mean he'd make it in time to make sure she would walk away with good enough hands to cook the next day. "She should back up, take her distance and try to avoid those powerful swings; instead she's plowing forward and into them. It is like she wants to have her head taken off!" Rina looked on and she had to admit it was definitely an odd strategy, why would she purposely try to face that weapon and man head-to-head. Specter's plan definitely seemed like the better one if you wanted to escape with your life intact.

Once more Reggie plowed forward, through the hazardous heavy swings of Genbu. If anyone knew how dangerous this tactic was it was the young woman doing it herself. She was the one who could feel the wind blow around whenever he brought the club flying by, she was the one who could hear a heartbeat pound and her eardrums pop whenever she saw him preparing to swing. However, that didn't stop her. She got into his chest area once more and swung into Genbu's body once, twice, and a third time before being forced away with a shoulder tackle from Genbu.

Another upwards swing from the pirate sent the chef running back to try and calm her nerves. She needed to avoid those swings there was no doubt about that, but…Reggie sighed. She took a low stance and dashed in again. She would take Genbu down! That much was for certain. She closed the distance quickly and after three more harrowingly close calls with Genbu's club she found herself pressed up against Genbu's armor plating once more. She let loose a burst of quick close-ranged swings with her own weapon right into the man's gut

"It's…" began Genbu as he brought his arm back, "not working!" He swept his arm through the air, knocking it into Reggie's body and forcing her back off of him. She was thrown a bit, but her Marine training allowed her to neutralize the impact though her legs were noticeably shaken. "There's nothing you can do to break through my skin! Nothing you can do to beat me! I've told you I've used to get daily beatings from my parents. Your own puny frying pan was nothing compared to the pain I've felt back then." He swung his large club back around and pointed it at Reggie. "You're just not strong enough to beat me."

"So says you!" Reggie dashed forward; she dodged beneath his next swing and burrowed in closer to Genbu's chest. She rotated her complete body around and smashed the thin side of the frying pan into his gut. There was a notable sound as Genbu's skin squished around the side of the frying pan. Despite the appearance of the frying pan sinking into Genbu's skin he didn't utter a sound. Instead he brought his elbow down, smashing it into the top of Reggie's head. Reggie moaned and her body slumped down beneath Genbu's hulking mass. He quickly brought his leg up knocking her back into the air and onto her two feet. She stood shakily on them for a few more precious seconds, before Genbu brought his arm swinging around and clotheslined her from the side, knocking her back to the ground.

Reggie was breathing heavily as she looked up at the sky. It was blurry. She couldn't see straight any more. His constant and heavy handed assaults were hurting her. She opened her mouth and spat blood. She paused for a few seconds, looking at the fresh puddle of blood on the ground. She thought back to her days in the Marine training, she had never seen blood like that. She was never so beaten up that she coughed up blood…this was real…this was a real fight…if she lost…she would die…Reggie stood up, bringing her entire body back onto her own two feet. Regardless, she would keep going. She would keep going.

She brought her arms up in a tight guard as she looked over her own two fists at Genbu, who had no worries. He had a cocky smile on his hideous face. It was weird seeing his giant jagged misshapen teeth try to form a comfortable smile; it looked like he had been electrocuted instead. "Still going to go on, huh?" He made a practice swing through the air. The sound of his large club swinging through the air was loud and made Rina wince as she thought about the life of her nakama. Rina stepped forward about to interrupt the fight, demanding that they switch out, but the instant she made her move, Reggie moved in as well.

She flew forward as fast as she could. She almost immediately found herself in Genbu's personal space. "This again," Genbu grunted, looking down at the chef as she pressed herself next to him. Dodging the large swings of his club while moving in had almost become second nature to her. She swung several times with her little frying pan and into Genbu's side, but he didn't seem to mind it. He gritted through it and brought his fist down at a diagonal and into the side of her face, nearly throwing her back. Her vision flashed temporarily to the sky and then it went black. She shook her head forcing herself to remain conscious she buried herself into Genbu's side, refusing to separate. Another series of close-ranged frying pan smashes echoed into Genbu's side.

"That's why!" Specter said as he brought his two fists together examining the fight. Rina looked over at Specter, a little bit clueless as to what he was talking about. "That's why she keeps burying into Genbu's side rather than taking her distance. If it was me or you we would take our distance to increase our chances of being able to dodge or run away from Genbu's powerful swings! And we would've lost!" He glared in at Reggie as she continued to furiously swing her frying pan into Genbu's side.

"From that distance, with Reggie pressed in as close as possible to Genbu's side he can't swing his club at her," Specter explained as he continued to watch the fight. "There's no good swing to hit someone who is right next to you. She ran through Genbu's full-powered mid-range and took it to a super-close range! A range that she's decent at, but Genbu's horrible at! It's a genius tactic! One that would've given me or any other Marine a heart-attack!" Rina nodded as she followed Specter's logic, a little bit upset that she didn't put it together first.

Genbu wedged his arm in-between the two of them and forced them apart. Before he could get a swing in on Reggie, though she thrust herself forward and into Genbu's side once more where another smash with her frying pan was fed into Genbu's side. Genbu grunted this time, her numerous attacks were finally bearing fruit. The chef pushed herself forward and into Genbu's body. She didn't want to admit it, but it was no longer a means of staying close to Genbu to swat at him…her legs were gone, she couldn't even feel them anymore. They had done her well to allow her to stand this long. She just needed to get a few more hits in! She swung again into Genbu's side.

Genbu pried himself apart from Reggie, pushing her a fair distance away from him. Finally he wound up and fed a powerful swing with his club straight through the air with a sign of strain becoming evident on his face. His swing would've met with Reggie's face, if she hadn't fell during that same second. She collapsed her legs giving out, she reached out and grabbed a hold of Genbu's belt and pulled herself up. She rammed her body into his again. The young chef was breathing heavily, but she still rammed her frying pan into his gut again. Genbu brought his elbow smashing around and into Reggie's head, knocking her back.

She looked shocked as her head was thrown back. If you didn't know any better you would've sworn she had just woken up from a nap with a startle. Although the truth was very similar to what happened here…she was unconscious for the last few seconds. Her body was running on spirit rather than conscious thought. She brought her feet back down and charged in. This would be her last charge! She accepted that fact. She moved in quickly. Genbu swung his club through the air, there was a moment where sheer pain spread across his face. He paused for a second as he brought it through. Reggie had dodged past it, but her own feet had stopped moving.

Genbu looked down at the young chef amazed she made it this far against him. "Hah," he said with a minor sigh. She had probably broken a rib with her constant rushes and determined hatred for his side. It hurt him whenever he brought his club through the air; his muscles would strain against his ribs, hurting like hell. But that hell was over, now it was time for his paradise! The moment when he rubbed out his opponent's hope! He brought his entire body arcing inwards for Reggie's head, all of his power being compressed into this one swing.

And he was met with a frying pan to the face. Reggie had a confident smile on her face as he brought her own weapon swinging in during the same instant Genbu brought his around. There's a scientific saying that every force has an equal and opposite reaction and that was what Genbu was met with. He was met as the opposite force of his swing combined with the initial force of Reggie's was thrown back at him; all of that force was shoved into Genbu's face. His face went blank as he was flipped through the air and collapsed onto the ground.

He wasn't alone for very long. Reggie took half a step forward and collapsed to the ground besides him. It was a close-match. Every second Reggie was fighting for her life, struggling to stay conscious, but in the end…close didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was Reggie's courage.

* * *

><p>Did the explanation make sense? I was worried about it. It made sense to me, but I'm one out of a thousand people. But, yeah, Sea Kings can't sense boats with seastone bottoms so I figured neither could Genbu. The fight continues, heating up to the point of boiling and then it meets a decisive end! Reggie's powerful countering blow with her frying pan! Yup! Amazing!<p> 


	80. Chapter 80 Corruption

**Corruption**

"It's a shame," said Suzakku looking down at Genbu. She bent down and picked up a large chunk of earth, using her Devil Fruit power she transformed the dirt into a blanket of sorts. She threw it over Genbu's limp body, "that such an ugly thing had been permitted to breathe the same air as me." She chuckled to herself as she looked down at the dirt that was covering her old companion. "That's much better."

Byakko walked up next to her and shoved her aside. "Get out of my way woman," he growled, a noticeable anger in his tone. Suzakku smiled, she backed away from the fight and let Byakko have his way. She just wanted to make sure that she didn't have to look at that monstrosity anymore and she did. Finally she could relax and watch the rest of the fights in peace. Byakko paused as he loomed over Genbu's body. "You better not die, pal. We still need someone to load the ship." Byakko turned around and looked down at Reggie. "You're gonna come and take care of your nakama! She's not coming back to you by herself!"

Rina and Specter were shocked out of their stupor as they quickly jogged up to Reggie lifted her up onto their shoulders and ran back to their sides with her. "That's better," he muttered, "she fought the good fight and won. Let her have a brief moment of respite." He began to wind up his arms and stretch preparing for the upcoming fights. "I don't like Marines, you know. I think you all are a bunch of dirty, cheating bastards, but I respect anyone willing to put their life on the line." Suddenly he flexed his arms, tensing his muscles up and causing them to swell briefly. "But that doesn't mean I won't kill her in the end. She just gets to rest…for now." Suddenly he jumped and let loose a roar, "meanwhile I can get vengeance for Genbu!"

"What about saving yourself for last? The strongest fighter going last and all? Or did you change your mind about you being the strongest fighter?" mocked Suzakku from the sidelines. She didn't mind. She didn't want to fight just yet. She still wanted to settle things with that Alexander fellow.

"Humph!" growled Byakko as he tightened and uncurled his fingers, watching the light dance between his iron claws. "Right now it is not about the strongest fighter, it is about getting revenge for Genbu and his fallen pride. And I'm not about to let someone like you who would disgrace him like that do it!" Byakko roared at Suzakku. Suzakku was impressed, Byakko always had a short fuse, however this may just be the maddest she's ever seen him. Byakko roared once more as he turned his attention to his opponents, "So, which one of you two wusses is going to be my fighting partner?"

Specter sighed. He swung his crossbow around and brought it up to his eye level. "I'll go head-to-head with you," Specter didn't waste a second firing a single small sphere straight for Byakko. The pirate didn't even budge, he just stood there as the ball whizzed past his head and into the background, exploding behind him. "Consider that a thank-you for not outright attacking Reggie when you switched in." Byakko smiled.

"Why would I do something so underhanded?" he growled, "you guys are the Marines!" Byakko took up a fighting stance, crouching forward. He dropped his left hand letting it almost hang down to his knees. His right hand stayed right next to his face. Specter was kind of surprised to see such a disciplined form of fighting from a pirate. Most of the time you hear about pirates they use random self-taught styles, but Byakko's stance was actually practiced in some official martial art schools. It was obvious that he had trained hard to get to where he was, that he was taught how to blow through everyone to get here rather than just chancing into it. Byakko slowly started to bob forward and back, shifting his weight between his front foot and back foot.

"**Primal Speed." **Suddenly he vanished into a blur. It was mere milliseconds later when Specter found himself looking down at the pirate, who had a cocky sure-fire grin on his face. Byakko brought his clawed right hand swooping in and up at Specter's cheek. Specter grunted dodging backwards, barely missing Byakko's sharp talons by the hair on his chin. Unlike Genbu's weapon that basically screamed as it came barreling at its target, Byakko's claws silently ripped themselves through the air and Specter was sure they would just as silently rip through his cheek.

Byakko ducked down and sped towards Specter again. Three small paper-thin gnashes appeared in the gunslinger's side as the human tiger rushed past him. Byakko didn't slow down. He disappeared vanishing into the air as he took his speed up another notch. Several more claw marks began to appear on Specter's coat and skin. His blood streaked by his head as he was thrown back by another insane tornado of vicious cutting attacks. He spun around from the force; he stumbled for a few brief seconds before he saw Byakko appear beneath him again. He swiveled around, his claw screeching upwards for the Marine's chin once more, "**Wild Claw!"**

Specter pulled his head away, but was a tad too late. One of Byakko's claws still made contact, dragging a horrible scar from his chin all the up to his cheekbone. Luckily it wasn't deep, but it still caused Specter a searing pain. Specter pulled his crossbow out and fired one shot, it exploded at the ground near Byakko's feet, cloaking the field in a mixture of smoke and dust. Specter let out a small laughter, "can't kill me if you can't see me." It was a cheap tactic, but sometimes in order to beat someone faster and stronger, you needed to be a cheap shot.

"If I can't see you…then I'll just attack everything!" Byakko roared, "**Wide Spread Tiger Claw!" **Once more using his own impressive speed he began racing around in all directions, throwing his slashes in all directions each one just as devastatingly powerful and fast as the last. He wasn't kidding when he said he'd attack everything. His claws buried themselves into the ground around him, the chunks of building that were laid out and about on the ground. "Even if only one of my slashes find you, you'd still be torn to shreds!"

Rina felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest as she watched on. Reggie barely managed to make it out of her fight with Genbu alive and now Specter was trapped in a black ball of smoke with a madman, who wouldn't stop attacking until he dug his claws into his flesh. It was insanity. First Genbu's strength and now Byakko's speed, both were overwhelmingly on the next level. Reggie's fight was too close to make any real judgment from and right now in this very instant it would be hard to tell who won and who lost they were both beaten, bloody, and unconscious. The most she could do was cheer for Specter.

Suddenly Specter let out a blood curdling scream. Rina's head snapped back to the scene unfolding before her. She froze listening for any more sounds. "Finally I found you," muttered Byakko barely loud enough for Rina to hear, "**Insane Tiger Frenzy!" **Byakko's claws sliced through the air in a specific location, where his last claw had caused Specter to let out his scream. The thick smog started to clear, revealing to everyone the sight of the battle.

Byakko was randomly swinging and cutting through air. Specter on the other hand was nowhere to be seen. Byakko stopped swinging and brought his feet to a stop, "HAH! I shredded him so finely he's air right now! There's bits and pieces of your friend in the air, breathe him in, breathe him in!" screamed Byakko in sheer cockiness.

"That's not what happened you ugly moron!" shouted Suzaku, she was fuming right now at Byakko's stupidity and arrogance, both were so unbecoming. "You didn't shred that hideous fool into bits and pieces! He escaped in the middle of the smoke cloud! Didn't you notice that a not single one of your slashes hit him! Did you not notice that you didn't feel your claws cutting through him?"

"What!? Of course, they did!" argued Byakko back, "I'm just so strong and my blades are so sharp that my cuts went through him so finely I didn't get a piece of reverberation through them!" Suzaku let out an audible moan at Byakko's stupidity and even Seiryu who hadn't shown an inch of emotion for this entire time looked a little disappointed. "Fine! I'll go shred him again!" Byakko twisted out, looking in all directions. "Where did he go?"

This was a very good question. Even Rina, his only conscious ally, didn't know. The entire group had been transfixed, watching and listening to Specter's fake moans of pain in the smoke cloud that they didn't notice him use it as a perfect excuse to sneak off. Byakko frowned as he decided that he must've disappeared. "Fine!" he said throwing his arms up into the air, he looked over at Rina. "I guess he ran away, so it is just me and yo-" he cut short by something that probably could've only been done by Specter. There was a small booms at the floor level of one of the old decrepit buildings. It tilted down and collapsed towards Byakko almost crushing him, if it wasn't for his superior speed that allowed him dodge out of its way. Nonetheless the force of the building hitting the ground caused it to explode, sending bits and pieces of the rocky building all out and into the air. Another large dust cloud was kicked up by its fall.

Byakko roared loudly. "Come out and face me!" Almost as if that was his cue Specter, from wherever his hiding place was fired another Pop Grenade into the dust cloud. Byakko swiped at it, slicing it in two. It erupted in front of him, the explosion burned his hand and blew him back a little, but that was the extent of his injures. Byakko paused as he let loose another roar. "I'm not going to just sit back and take this!" Byakko roared forward, swinging his claws. He came into contact with the fallen building and rather than stopping, he sliced right through it, sending chunks and pieces of it into the air. "Come on out!" Another small shot came bursting out towards Byakko. Byakko's entire body swerved around and raced in the direction where the shot originated from.

Byakko raced in the direction, he struck out with his claws, **"Cat Scratch Fervor!"** Byakko lashed out multiple time with his sharp claws. The air whipped around his hands as he made multiple quick step-ins and flickers with his punches. His claws whipped through the nearest building, breaking it down in one clean and smooth slash. The building collapsed all around him as he seamlessly brought his claw slashing through another support. He smiled as he backed up a cocky smile on his face. He paused as he looked down, he immediately saw Specter's crossbow sitting on a small table pointed at where Byakko assumed one of the windows were. It was probably just a stupid trap once more. He was hiding out somewhere else.

"You stinkin' rat!" shouted Byakko roaring forward. "You Marines are all the same! You lie! You cheat! You murder innocents!" Rina raised an eyebrow at Byakko's shouting. It seemed like he was getting Marines confused with pirates. "My parents were killed at the hands of one of your stupid, stupid, STUPID Rear Admirals!"

"Yeah, because they were criminals," explained Rina, stomping her foot demanding that Byakko faced the facts. "They performed several heinous acts! They…"

"WERE FRAMED!" roared Byakko, taking his eyes away from the fight and taking a step for Rina. "They possessed a Devil Fruit! That was their only crime and it was not illegal! They possessed a rare Logia Devil Fruit one that filled many men with greed! Your 'precious' and 'righteous' Rear Admiral found out and guess what he wasn't too happy that normal people had a Devil Fruit and came after them, branded them as pirates, and killed them for that Devil Fruit. But, of course, you Marines sided with him! He couldn't be wrong! He couldn't be corrupt! He was a Marine! I became a pirate with the sole intention of taking that man down!"

"What you said might actually be true," said Specter as came onto the scene. His crossbow laid out in his lap as he looked at them, his cocky smile still plastered on his face despite two impressive feats of strength from Byakko. "I looked into it and he did strangely obtain a Devil Fruit a little after your parents were arrested and a little before he was promoted."

"That little weasel was promoted!?" roared Byakko, "just handing out promotions like that, is that what you Marines do?" He stomped his foot forward and leaned forward, ready to rip into Specter now that his anger had been refueled. Byakko rushed forward, speeding towards the intended target. He immediately felt something different about the sand as if something had been buried in it. He pressed down on it due to his weight, as he took his foot off of it, it exploded.

Byakko felt his leg get drenched in the heated explosion of another one of Specter's pop grenade. Rather than shooting them, while Specter's latest trick worked its magic he had buried small pop grenades in the ground. Byakko had rushed full forward through the possible mine field without a single thought. He stopped once more and stood still.

"That's what I want," said Specter lifting a spare Pop Grenade launcher up to his eye level. He let a single shot rip out through the air and at Byakko. Byakko paused. He couldn't dodge anywhere if there was another Pop Grenade buried in the ground, he'd wind up blowing his leg clean off. Byakko growled, he ducked beneath the Pop Grenade and rushed in. He raced towards Specter, arms outstretched and at the ready to swipe straight through his skin. Specter smiled. "Yeah, let's settle this like men."

Specter buried his feet into the ground, lifting the small crossbow up and aiming it at Byakko. The kickback of the crossbow shuddered itself into Specter's shoulder, but he didn't care. He scrambled for a second shot, loaded it and fired. Byakko ripped his claw through the air, knocking it aside and out of his face. However, he was in a bad position to dodge the second. He took it head-on. The blast erupted into his chest. He charged forward, breaking through the smoke and straight at Specter smoke trailing from his mouth. Specter quickly loaded another Pop Grenade.

Byakko was upon him. Byakko brought his claw around, scraping it into Specter's cheek and knocking him aside. Byakko stepped forward again, arcing his fist upwards and then back down, aiming specifically for Specter's head. Time seemed to slow down briefly for Byakko. He felt something sharp jab him in his stomach and then he heard Specter pull the trigger, his eyes flickered down and at the small crossbow. He watched the ball shoot up the bow and into his stomach. The smooth surface buried itself in his gut. There was a slight click right before Byakko's eardrums nearly exploded from the horrible sound. He felt his body become seared and lift off of Specter's bow as his was blown backwards in an explosion.

* * *

><p>Please recall Byakko's support for Genbu's problems during the last chapter and you'll see that Byakko wasn't all that bad of a guy...you know asides from killing thousands of innocents. It looks like most of these pirates were actually fairly good people, but now that Byakko and Genbu are down the question is? Are Suzaku, the woman who physically maimed Alexander, and Seiryu, the man responsible for burning down the islands before, also good guys or are they the real villains?<p> 


	81. Chapter 81 Not so Beautiful

**So Not Beautiful**

Byakko's body was ripped back off of Specter and his crossbow. The small sphere blew him back as far it could. Byakko's entire body was flung through the air. There was a deafening crack as he came into contact with the ground. He probably broke an arm or a leg upon landing. But nonetheless Byakko was out of it. His shirt had been burned cleaned off revealing his burnt, exploded, scarred chest. There was trail of blood that startled to trickle down his body. Suzaku let out an uproarious and insanely boastful laugh.

"You alive over there, Nyakko?" mocked Suzaku flinging her head back with another fit of laughter. "I'm surprised you call yourself a pirate! Your opponent outsmarted, outpaced and easily whooped your ugly butt, that I'm feeling pain in my stomach for you! But my pain is more from laughter than sorrow. It's downright dirty shame I shared a boat with ugly weaklings like you and Genbu! It's a horrible shame!" Seiryu let out a small chuckle, which made Suzaku snap her head over to him. "You agree with my beautiful self right, Seiryu?"

"I was laughing because you'll look like an idiot when you lose," said Seiryu looking up at her, a slightly annoyed look was on his face. His mouth was twisted into an angry scowl. He may not have liked Genbu or Byakko. They were both had horrible personalities, but they were still his allies. They were the first few people who he could actually consider allies. And now this woman was insulting them. For some reason that made him feel insulted as well. He wanted to rip off of her head and his intentions showed. Suzaku felt flustered and took a step or two off to the side. She didn't want to threaten this man. She had seen what he had done. "It looks like I'm going to have to wait in line to kill you," muttered Seiryu, nodding towards Rina.

Specter was sitting down, a noticeable wound on every side of his entire body and face. He was bleeding profusely and wasn't in the mood for any more problems. He was leaning back and touching his horrendous wounds tenderly. He was definitely in bad shape, but what was really attracting attention was Rina who was taking his place. She strode up to the battlefield with a sort of cocky stride to her walk. It was in and of itself laughable. Did she forget that they were two of them left? That even if she did manage to beat Suzaku, there would still be Seiryu left? Seiryu rolled his head to the left and laughed. He watched on as the foolish Marine walked towards them. Her eyes were locked on Suzaku, she barely even paid Seiryu attention.

Seiryu smiled as she stepped forward. He wasn't about to step forward, he rolled his gaze upwards to Suzaku. Suzaku was smiling as well. She was welcoming the upcoming fight she had met her once before, so she had no reason to worry about it. An easy fight between the two of them. She bent down and grabbed the ground, with the slightest flick of her hands she sent it flying over to Rina like a disc. Rina was admittedly wise enough to know not to face the attack head-on. She dodged to the left, but kept a steady pace. She wasn't about to rush, she saw what had happened to Alexander and she knew this would be a matter of taking her distance and taking her time. She looked over Seiryu for a brief second.

Two against one. It wasn't her favorite odds, but she would have to face them. She tightened her grip on her chakram. She would just have to take the fights one at a time. She made small steps forward, she'll need to be ready to dodge Suzaku's next attack, which was coming now.

Suzaku buried her right foot in the dirt and then using her power. She yanked the dirt up into the air forming a long pole of mud and earth. Her hand snapped forward and wrapped around the top. She picked it up, fashioned one end of the pole to a tip and then tossed it with all her strength for Rina's head. Rina swerved to the side, dodging it by a hair's breadth. Of course, Rina didn't pause at all. She kept her steady pace until she was a few feet away from Suzaku. She stopped

Suzaku reached down and grabbed a small stone. Her hands made small, yet quick fluid motions on it. She flung it out, it was perfectly shaped to a small shuriken. Rina swerved to the side and dashed in. She would need to match Reggie's courage right now. Go straight into the bastardly female's range and stick it to her. Bury her fist into her side with all of her strength. She dove forward straight into the hornet's nest. She took several steps at once, rushing into her side instantly. Her arm braced with her chakram, she jabbed it inwards aiming for Suzaku's ribcage.

Suzaku dodged backwards, she wasn't as cocky as Genbu was Rina had to give her that credit. Swinging to the side, she moved straight out of the way. She slid her foot under the dirt again and kicked up another pole of earth. She grabbed it and pointed it straight at Rina using it to put distance between them. The long pole was a weapon and it was certainly a worthwhile weapon at that. It gave Suzaku the reach advantage. She whipped it around, she was clearly unskilled with it, but nonetheless it was a frightening sight. It was obviously stronger than Rina's little metal circles.

Rina didn't care though. The young and anxious Marine dug in her heels, swinging her entire body underneath the pole and moving in with just two steps. Right after her first one she had to dodge Suzaku's downwards swing. She moved around it and went in deeper. She fired her right fist forward and was met with a spray of dirt, blinding her rather quickly. Suzaku had turned her staff of earth into a thin shield which Rita proceeded to smash. When Rite finally got her vision back, she was shocked by the sight. Suzaku had disappeared once more.

She knew the trick, rather than bending the earth. She bent the light waves, making her seem to disappear. People would no longer see the light reflected off of her. She was gone and stalking the poor Marine, from any direction at any moment. Rina took a deep breath and tried to listen for her. However, the soft sand muted any and all sounds of her footsteps. She had almost completely disappeared. If it wasn't her 'presence' Rina would've sworn she left the battlefield. Her grip tightened again on her chakram. She stood still trying to 'sense' where Suzaku was hiding. She was somewhere in the area.

She swung forward and into the air. It was a random stroke in the air. She couldn't believe it. It was a shot in the dark and it came up empty…for Rina. By making that random and wild stroke Rina exposed her side and felt the consequence of her action. A sharp prodding pain appeared in her side, she barely managed to stay standing. She swung her head to the side just in time to see Suzaku disappear once more. Rina rotated her entire body around and in one smooth motion brought her chakram slicing through the air. She realized all too soon she had missed that her chakram hit nothing but air…too bad the same couldn't be said for Suzaku who once more jabbed her earth pole into Rina's side sending her scrambling to the side.

Rina caught herself quickly, regaining her balance and lashing out once more just as Suzaku vanished once more. After that miss, she tucked her arms in and formed a complete guard once more. She wouldn't back down now. She felt her side grow warm as blood oozed out of her body. She was bleeding, just lovely. She took a deep breath and looked around, she needed to find that woman before she struck again.

Out of nowhere a wall of earth jutted out of the ground in front of her. Rina swiveled to her right where another wall emerged, flying up in front of her. Rina paused for a second as she pieced together the strategy. Suzaku was going to try and block her in, trap her in this small area. Rina tried to take the pace up, she spun all the way around doing a complete 180 and was met with another wall. Rina didn't have the time or luck to be able to stand up to this tactic. She swung out with her chakram, breaking down one of the walls in an instant. Once more it was a mistake she wished she didn't make. With her arms outstretched to break down the wall, her guard was gone. An open invitation for Suzaku to ram her pole into her gut once more.

Rina was knocked by, the wind knocked out of her. She braced herself for the next attack which came in almost the next instant. A wide swing the pole almost like one of Genbu's. Rina's arms jumped to her guard, mostly out of reflex. They formed a small shell in front of her for the club to smash into and it did. She was tossed back by the strength by it, albeit not as far as one of Genbu's swing would throw her, but enough where it took her a second to catch herself. And in that second Suzaku charged in. Holding the pole long ways, she brought it forward, thrusting it at Rina.

Rina didn't look disheartened though. She dodged beneath it, swinging all of her weight around. Suzaku grimaced, but in a last ditch effort to hit her and destroy this attack she pivoted her foot once more. She swung her pole sideways, bringing it around with a lot of force backing it. Rina foresaw this last ditch attack, she dove down even further. She disappeared beneath Suzaku's swinging weapon, Suzaku scowled as she realized her side was left wide open. Rina forced her foot down, burying it in the ground. Finally, she rotated her entire boy around and up. Her fist shot up with the force of her entire body behind it.

Her fist was powered forward, smashing into Suzkau's chin, whipping her head back and cracking her neck in one fluid motion. Suzaku's body tilted back, stumbling almost as she tried to regain her balance. Rina rushed in, burrowing closer to Suzaku's head. Suzaku buried her foot in the ground and kicked up another wall of earth, separating them for a split second as Rina reached forward and smashed the wall. However, that split second was exactly what Suzaku needed. To disappear again. She was gone behind another bending of light rays. Rina tucked her arms into side, protecting herself. However, if there was one thing Rina had learned so far is that Suzaku can't guard and attack at the same time. There'd be an instant where she dropped this charade to attack and that would be Rina's chance.

Rina ducked, diving towards the ground just as Suzaku's weapon swung above her head. Rina pivoted around and brought her fist smashing upwards towards where her ribs should be. Her fist cut air. A sharp slap came around from the other side, knocking Rina aside. Suzaku was standing behind her, not in front of her. "I can bend light rays, remember?" mocked Suzaku, "meaning I can create a beautiful illusion of myself to fool your ugly self." Rina felt blood swish around in her mouth, she turned to the side and spat it out. A deep red stained the sand. Regardless of that she dragged herself back onto her feet, she brought her arms back and protected her sides with another solid guard.

Suzaku let out an audible moan. "Come on, I'm tired of knocking you around," she said, "you are the last one. Even if by some miracle you manage to beat me…and I'm talking about a huge miracle, you still got Seriyu to fight. There's no way in hell you can win."

"Regardless," said Rina with a heavy breath, "I'll take you down…not because it is my job. When you are defeated by me, I want you to know you weren't defeated by the Marine, Chiran Mitsukomi Rina. You were defeated by someone who hated your guts." Rina bit down hard, gritting her teeth. "You attacked innocents! You hurt my captain and my friend! And you insulted your own crew! I don't believe in such a thing as a 'good' pirate, however, I believe that you are one of the worst!"

Rina dropped her guard, her arms swung down to her side. She was still tightly gripping her chakrams. She had fought for awhile now, guarding herself and striking when she saw an opportunity emerge…however, she wasn't getting anywhere. Well…maybe she was getting _somewhere_ but definitely not where she wanted to go. She had already made her vow…she'd defeat Suzaku and end this fight.

There was a moment as eerie silence drifted in. Suzaku did not particularly care about Rina's declaration of war. A lot of people hated her guts and all of them had fallen before her. As a matter of fact as far Suzkau was concerned this fight was over. She bent down and heaved a massive wall of dirt and earth up and into the air. The wall was like a three-story building in size. From Rina's point of view, right in front of it, it must've looked like it stretched all the way up and into the sky.

Rina's heart didn't waver though. She buckled down, lowering her body to a stance and prepared to dash out at the slightest signal. Suddenly Suzaku cut the wall using her Devil Fruit moving two small sections of the wall closer together where it couldn't support the stress. Then with the slightest bump the wall fell forward, crashing down towards Rina. Rina shot out at a frightening pace; she lowered her body and bolted to the left. However, much to Rina's dismay the tower turned as well. Suzaku wasn't out of tricks yet. By bending the air and making it denser in places twisting the large wall and making it move in one direction child's play.

Rina buckled down. She surged forward, applying another quick burst of speed to her legs. She was racing for the edge; she didn't want to meet with the colossal wall. She needed to escape, find her way out of this no win situation. She tried her best to keep her eyes on the ground, not daring to look up at her impending doom, but she couldn't help herself as her eyes flashed upwards to the large wall. She had maybe one chance left for a good burst of speed. She strained her legs, pushing them as fast as they could go!

That was the moment the wall fell.

With a loud and deafening crack as the slab of solid earth timbered down crashing into the ground, it signaled the end of the fight. Suzaku stood, proudly above her creation…the defeated Marine, a beautiful piece of work in her mind. A glad smirk remained present on her face as she looked down. She let out a loud guffawing laugh, one that would hardly be called beautiful. "She Seiryu, I am the champion! Byakko lost, Genbu lost, but I won! You and I shall take the Grand Line by storm! They were just holding us back, the ugly beasts! Come! Let us burn down this-" Suzaku's words were cut short as she felt a light tug on her leg.

Suzaku's gaze moved down to her legs where Rina's arm had managed to latch out and grab a hold. From the looks of it she managed to crawl out from underneath the stone slab. Rina was beaten, bloody, and bruised, but her look of determination and confidence didn't fade. "I already told you once…" muttered Rina as a trickle of blood came down, blocking her left eye from view, "stop insulting your own nakama."

"That's an ugly look you have on your face," said Suzaku as she knelt down, placing her hand on Rina's head, "maybe I should permanently change it to something more beautiful?"

"**Dance of** **the Iron Gaol!" **She looped her chakram around Suzaku's foot. Rina used all of her strength to bring the chakram up, flipping Suzaku's entire body into the air almost forcing her to do a back flip. Rina then stumbled up to her feet, she was unsteady on them just like a toddler first learning to walk, but what Rina was planning on doing was a little bit more impressive. She arced her fist up and into the air and then right back down, making contact with Suzaku's jaw. Of course, the punch didn't stop there. She continued bring her fist down straight to the ground with Suzaku's head right in between them.

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><p>First off, this is an early update, not a bonus update. I'm going camping this weekend and as a result no internet or anything electric as a result. That's right I'm one of those people who prefer sleeping in a tent on the ground rather than in a trailer. However, that means my updating schedule is about to get twisted.<p>

Oh, thank god...Suzakku was probably my least favorite villain of all time...she was so annoying and she was a cruel lady, but at least she got exactly what she deserved a punch to the face! I'm sooo glad she's done with! And with only one more fight left this arc it is about to be done with...but wait! Where's Alexander? Can the already damaged Rina really handle Seiryu? The man who set an entire village ablaze?

Also, I have posted a new One Shot from my Others page on my profile called 'One Piece is a Lie', you should go check it out and, you know, review.


	82. Chapter 82 The Dragon

**The Dragon**

Rina stumbled to her feet. She was unsteady on them; she swayed backwards for a second. Her sight was growing blurry. She moved around. She caught herself moments before she fell. She brought herself back up as she looked around. Her eyes locked onto Seriyu. She took another step forward. If she didn't beat all of them…it would still be a loss. It was four-on-four it was down to one-on-one. She needed to defeat him. She needed to strike down Seiryu and quickly. She took another step forward, a film of red blood streaked down her face, further blocking her vision.

Finally she was right in front of Seiryu. Seiryu was standing on his own two feet, his head cocked to the side with a smile on it. He was looking down upon her. "Don't know if I should praise you for your courage or insult you for your stupidity." He lifted his leg up and back down with incredible speed in almost a whip-like fashion. Rina hit the ground with a sickening thud; she struggled back up onto all fours. She was breathing heavily and in bad shape, but that didn't stop her bringing her body back up and onto her feet…only to be smashed right back down again. Seiryu's feet barely seemed connected to his body as they whipped about. His right foot came smashing in from the side, burying itself deep into the side of Rina's head. Rina was tossed through the air like ragdoll.

"I'm impressed you managed to beat Suzaku, impressed your friends managed to beat Byakko and even Genbu, but I've learned one thing throughout it all about you, Marines, " preached Seiryu as he walked over to Rina, who was still trying to struggle to her feet. His leg whipped downwards, smashing into Rina's back and forcing her back to the ground, covering her face is mud. It hurt horrible, she was trying to stay strong. She rolled onto her back to try and be able to breathe, it was a bad choice. Now Seiryu's kick drilled into her stomach, forcing all of the air out of her lung in a horrible scream. Seriyu smiled as he dropped his waist and crouched down next to her.

"Are you still alive?" he asked with a smile that crept across his face. He waved his hand above her face. Rina cringed in pain as she rolled over again, trying to avoid looking at him. She pushed herself up with her arms, bringing her body up, just barely. Seiryu's legs flashed out, first from left to right then right to left. Rina's head was thrown in both directions before she was allowed to collapse. Another splash of blood blew up around her as she hit the ground. "Dead? No? Too bad. I was really hoping to go burn down the town before su-" Seiryu lifted his head up as something caught the side of his eyes.

Alexander was standing there with his left hand in his pocket. His arm was still deformed like before. He was keeping his eye on Seiryu, but he wasn't necessarily rushing over to save Rina, "oh, never mind me," he said a bitter tone stuck on his tongue. "Apparently I'm not a part of this crew." Rina rolled over just enough to catch Alexander in her peripheral vision. Her mouth moved a little bit, trying to say something. Alexander raised his eyebrow at what she said, but he ignored it.

Seiryu stopped paying attention to Rina, his eyes became focused on Alexander. He was an animal, nothing above it. He had no higher basis than the desire and drive for a fight. Genbu was tormented when he was younger, Byakko was screwed over and aimed to get revenge, and Suzaku thought she was the best and her goal was apparently aimed to shot the world. Seiryu's goal was much simpler. He just wanted to fight and Alexander was his next opponent. He stood up, his long cape flowing behind him as he did so. Seiryu's legs whipped out, it sped forward, and extending way past what is humanly possible and smashed into Alexander's gut, sliding him back through the mud.

Alexander smirked. He snapped his arm out as he readied for a fight. He took another step forward. "Yeah, I don't really care about introductions either." Alexander's body immediately turned the same familiar metallic blue his hybrid form was. He bent down and rushed in. Seiryu smiled. His foot shot out like a snake. He whipped around and burned downwards into the side of Alexander's face. Alexander reeled to the side. He stumbled to the side, but quickly caught himself. This wasn't going to be a walk in the park that much just became obvious to Alexander.

Alexander drove forward. Seiryu's legs lashed out. Each attack was like a whip, they smashed into Alexander, but Alexander's body was too sturdy for any of Seiryu's one hit at a time moves to work. He kept charging forward, through the blizzard of whipping legs. Alexander buried himself into Seiryu's chest, he rotated quickly. His fist rotated upwards from the ground. The fist quickly buried itself in Seiryu's gut, ordinarily that fist would've made anyone who was on the receiving end of it lose their lunch, but Seiryu's face didn't even change. No flinch, cringe, or scream of pain. His cocky frown remained on his face. Alexander paused. He just realized something.

The legends of Seiryu being unbeatable. He was a pirate that took down several other pirates, several Marines, he was a monster of the seven seas…and here he was. He was a monster and Alexander never bothered to figure out why. Why did every city they go burst into flames? How did this man manage to defeat every person that crossed his path? Simple. He wasn't extremely strong like Alexander originally thought; at least not in terms of physical strength…he ate a Logia Devil Fruit. Another spinning kick shooting upwards from below, smashed into Alexander's chin. Alexander was knocked back, the reason why Seiryu's legs were like whips was because they basically were. He turned his knees, hips and ankle into the element of his Logia Devil Fruit. Without any joints they were just flailing strings of mass, they were whips.

Alexander broke down and caught himself. A whip versus a mace. This would be an interesting fight. Alexander dashed in, swinging his leg in to place him as close as he could be to Seiryu. Whipping his own leg up and into the air, "**Damascus Kick!" **Alexander's leg screeched as it went down, burying itself into Seiryu's shoulder and slicing its way all the way down, cleaving Seiryu's arm clean off. Seiryu's legs shot out, first his right, smashing itself into Alexander's rib-cage in the same whip-like fashion, quickly followed by the left which soared into the air and knocked itself against Alexander's head, sending him tumbling back.

Alexander spun around using the momentum from Seiryu's attack to coil up. "**Sledgehammer Uppercut!"** Alexander's fist soared upwards blowing its way through Seiryu's head and knocking it upwards and into the air. The head had been removed, severed due to Seiryu's Devil Fruit without even a second thought. Almost immediately Seiryu struck out another salvo of whip-like kicks from his body lashed out, digging into Alexander's body and forcing him back. Alexander struck out once more, firing a single punch into Seiryu's body, gouging out his body, but it was to no avail. Seiryu felt nothing; he couldn't be stopped when his attacks started up. He was invincible and he knew it! He wasn't going to recoil from the pain of Alexander's punches, because there was no pain. Which meant that there was no way for Alexander to halt Seiryu's assault!

Alexander buckled down, standing his ground, grinding his foot into the earth below him for support. He stood there and weathered the blows as each one brought in a new signal for pain. Human skin would've been malleable, swelling and bruising, becoming deformed at the slightest of hits. Alexander's iron skin was holding up slightly better than that, but even that won't last forever. He'd be eventually worn down. He couldn't afford to get himself down, though. He rushed in, moving at a quicker pace and dashed in. He forced his way into his opponent's space. He brought his shoulder, literally into Seiryu's. His body parted ways as Alexander pushed into him. Alexander took a second to check on Seiryu's body. Seiryu wasn't using his Devil Fruit wisely for some reason, it was a Logia Devil Fruit. It meant Seiryu had complete control over a specific element…but so far Alexander hadn't seen hide nor hair of what the element actually was.

In the end…it didn't matter. Alexander didn't care, it didn't bother him. He smashed into Seiryu's body, sticking to him. He wasn't about to let him slip away. He brought his fist forward into Seiryu's body again and again, but nothing was really happening. Whatever element Seiryu's Devil Fruit was it was a liquid. It splashed out and covered Alexander's fist and some of his body, but it didn't stop him. He quickly rotated in and landed another ferocious blow into Seiryu's body.

Seiryu smiled. His leg came spinning back around and smashing into the side of Alexander's head, knocking him to the side. "Keep it up," he mocked, "I appreciate your effort to make me feel pain. To feel like someone like you, but I'm not. I'm much better. The Devil Fruit dictates it, while I admit it you are probably the closest thing any one's ever come to me, but still you may as well-" Seiryu was immediately silenced as Alexander's fist came screeching into the place where his mouth was. Of course, like all people should be when their mouths have been rammed in by another person's fist, Seiryu was visibly annoyed. He brought his leg out, slicing it across the field and into Alexander's body, knocking him back once more.

"Really?" asked Seiryu as his mouth came back, forming out the clear liquid. "Byakko was right. Marines are horribly mannered beasts. I figured it was just his over-zealous ways of stating the facts, but after that I'm starting to think he was right!" His leg whipped out, stinging into Alexander's cheek. "Rude-" another quick whipping from Seiryu came out smashing into Alexander's gut, "weak-" his leg came sailing in from high above and crashing down into Alexander from the top, "and just overall-" his legs whipped out in a flurry. Alexander's entire body was heaved from one side to the next, over and over again in a maddening attack. Finally the last attack rang out. His leg whipped upwards, exploding from the ground and knocking into Alexander's chin, sending him up and into the air, flying backwards, head over heels. "Pathetic."

Alexander hit the ground hard. He flinched as his hand crept out of his pocket, examining the space around him. He managed to bring himself back up onto his feet and he looked out at Seiryu, who still had a cocky smile on his face. "Looks like this pathetic Marine survived your attack," Alexander took a step forward. He was a little shaky on his own feet, but nothing that was noticeable, especially not from Seiryu's distance. Very rarely does someone manage to survive a medley of his attacks, so Seiryu had to admit he was impressed…or rather annoyed. He had always finished his opponents off rather quickly, maybe his own attacks weren't doing much to damage Alexander's iron body. It was a possibility. One that rubbed Seiryu the wrong way.

"Fine," said Seiryu as he stretched out, reaching upwards and into the air. "I guess since your crew did manage to defeat mine," the term 'mine' was weirdly used. No one on Seiryu's team ever proclaimed their superiority, but it was obvious that right here and now Seiryu was, "truth be told. I haven't been very forthcoming with anyone. No one in the Marines or even on my crew knew the true nature of my Devil Fruit."

"It's a logia Devil Fruit," said Alexander shaking his hand. He still felt the liquid sticking tightly to his skin. The question still remained what the liquid was. Alexander was almost afraid to ask. He saw the clear liquid dangling from his fingertips and knew that whatever it was, it wasn't something that was going to be very helpful in defeating Seiryu. Chances are it would help Seiryu out in taking down Alexander.

"Quite right," remarked Seiryu, obviously pleased that he wasn't fighting some brain-dead dolt who couldn't even piece that together. "But the real remarkable thing isn't what type of Devil Fruit it is. I mean there's a one-in-three chance of your correctly guessing what it is. What's the remarkable is the liquid." Alexander twisted his face into a very unhappy distortion. He knew it. Bad news for him, good news for Seiryu. "It is something," Seiryu said as he reached into his pocket and produced a small box, "you know very well and after this you'll never forget." From the small almost paper-like box, he produced a small stick with a slightly bulbous red end. Striking the stick to the box, the stick lit itself on fire. He tossed the stick forward with very little care.

The stick hit the ground into a small puddle of Seiryu's liquid. The stick hit the liquid and almost immediately Seiryu seemed like a much dangerous foe. The liquid exploded into a brilliant red flame, it shot down the path towards Alexander. Alexander backed away, about to tempt to outrace, but he realized it was futile. The liquid of Seiryu's Devil Fruit was oil, clear and like a cooking oil, but oil nonetheless. The fire would follow the trail of oil Seiryu had left until it caught all the oil around it on fire…including the light coating Seiryu had so generously spread on Alexander.

The flames engulfed Alexander, covering him from head-to-toe in the brilliant red fire. Alexander rolled backwards, stumbling due to the burning fire. The blinding light it was given off combined with the searing heat was enough to throw any man off even when they were made of iron. He had an increased resistance to the heat, but that didn't make him feel any better. He rolled back, through the dirt and managed to lessen the fire a little. A few more rolls and it was out completely. Alexander caught himself, skidded back and was quickly back on his feet. There was still a stream of flames stretching towards him.

Alexander rushed in, wasting a moment of time would be stupid. The more time that passed the bigger the flames would grow. And that was the last thing Alexander wanted, he needed to take him down as quickly as possible. Alexander swung to the side and brought his fist back over with a hook. His attack was stopped short as Seiryu's leg smashed upwards and into Alexander's chin, jerking his neck back. Alexander felt another splash of oil on his face. Alexander flinched, but shrugged it off. He planted his feet and rotated around and brought his fist back around. Seiryu's face splashed and separated allowing his fist to smoothly glide in. There was a twinge of discomfort that appeared on Seiryu's face. He was obviously not happy with Alexander's punch. Seiryu brought his two legs whipping back to the side.

One of them came into the side of Alexander's face, sending him tumbling to the side, flipping head over heels. His next leg came spinning around in the next split second in the opposite direction, flipping Alexander back around in the other direction. Alexander's left hand crept out of his pocket and felt his face. There was a slight crack running down it now, probably from being thrown around like a rag doll so many times. Alexander brought his body back up to his feet and took a fighting stance. Seiryu quickly produced a series of matches, each match was held between two of fingers. He brought his hand out, screeching the matches against the box itself one more time.

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><p>Boring stuff first. Early update because I got crap planned for this weekend. Then for anybody who reads both this and Saga, Saga's going to be delayed as I got a lot of work next week, as a matter of fact whether or not I update next week will be questionable. Secondly I'm updating my Future Works on my profile page to name a few more of my pet projects one of them actually pertains to this story so...it may be worth a check.<p>

Other than that. Alexander is back! But probably not in the way everybody expected it, Alexander is still sore over being kicked off of the crew even if it was only temporary...perhaps this will allow us to see a sight we have never seen before Alexander when he is truly angry? Then again his arm is still damaged and he is going up against a pirate from the Grand Line...luck certainly doesn't shine too often on them, does it?

Originally I gave Seiryu the vibrate-vibrate fruit, but I decided I couldn't come up with any real devastating attacks and I couldn't take him seriously enough if I could nickname him 'the Vibrator!'


	83. Chapter 83 Solid Iron Versus Burning Oi

**Solid Iron Versus Burning Oil**

"Heh," laughed Seiryu as he rolled his head back, "I have a surprise for you. You know how I use my legs to attack, there's a simple reason. It is where I can keep my hands free to attack with my matches." Alexander backed up. He had more oil on him now, so Seiryu could actually light him on fire if he managed to touch him with a match. Alexander took a step back. Seiryu lashed out, throwing his series of matches out towards Alexander. Alexander did a double check on his legs. They were still mostly oil free, thankfully. Alexander brought his leg out, cutting through the air with his kick, knocking the incoming matches away from his body. Seiryu smirked. Two oil snakes burst forth from his body. They lashed out, gobbling the matches up into their bodies, immediately turning into long streaks of flames that fell to either side of Alexander, successfully trapping him like a rat.

Alexander looked behind him only to see that the two oil snakes managed to connect before they hit the ground. He was completely trapped by a large flaming U, the only way out was towards Seiryu. Seiryu held out his hand, two new drips of oil formed on the fingertips and dribbled down. Seiryu flipped the oil forward with a flurry of his hand. The oil drops flew forward, passing through the roaring flames and combusted. The bullets of flame whizzed by Alexander. Alexander swung, rotating his body left then right, passing by them and closing in to Seiryu. Seiryu smirked.

With a flick of Seiryu's hand he reloaded. More oil dripped down to the end of his hand as he readied to finish the poor Marine off. Alexander moved forward taking little slow steps, readying himself to move forward and land a blow on Seiryu. That seemed to be the signal to start. Seiryu's hand lashed out, sending a series of oil bullets forward from each side. Alexander dove forward, watching the bullets as they entered the walls of flame, lighting themselves as they zeroed in on him. Alexander bobbed and weaved, spinning to one side just in time to avoid one of the shots and then quickly shifting his weight in a different direction to avoid the next. He approached Seiryu in this manner, steadily growing closer until he could finally land a blow on him. His fist stretched out aiming for Seiryu's head once more. Seiryu's body stretched back, using his own oil proficiency to launch himself out of Alexander's reach. That didn't stop Alexander from punching though. He kept his punch screeching forward. It blew into Seiryu's legs destroying the oil link as well as Seiryu's only means of support. He collapsed to the ground, hitting it hard and temporarily turning into a pile of mush as he hammered into the ground. Despite the fall which would've KO'ed a lesser man, Seiryu quickly jumped back to his feet eager to continue this winning battle.

Seiryu reverted back to his old methods now that Alexander was free from the ring of fire. His legs turning into oil whips that lashed out at him, eager to draw blood from the iron man. Each strike blew into Alexander, but he didn't stop. The strikes weren't as hard as Seth's were, they were annoyingly effective and left Alexander's repeatedly hit spots with a stinging sensation, but other than that it didn't seem to bother him. He charged through the continuous melee with something similar to great haste and great perseverance. He was like the wind as he zoned in on his target. He lashed out at Seiryu with a powerful upwards kick. Seiryu's body once more parted way to allow Alexander's kick to glide on through without any complaints. Slamming his foot down and shifting gears Alexander sent his entire body rotating around and drew his leg straight through Seiryu's stomach area. If it weren't for Seiryu's Logia Devil Fruit he would've been cleaved in two. However, it didn't matter to Alexander what Seiryu's state was. He slammed his foot to the ground and brought his good fist arcing back around going up and then chopping right back down into Seiryu's floating torso. The torso was splattered into the ground.

Seiryu lifted his entire body off of the floor, bringing the oily mass back into the normal human body. A cocky smile remained ever present on his face even as he pulled himself back together. Alexander had all the power in the world, but it meant nothing against someone like him. He wasn't human. He struck out, his leg forming a whip once more. He spun it out and into the air and then with a quick snap of his leg, he brought it back down smashing into the back of Alexander's body. Alexander ignored the growing pain, unlike Seiryu. He felt pain, it may be reduced due to his iron body, but he didn't care. Alexander drove forward, plowed into Seiryu's body with his shoulder. Alexander felt another wash of oil flow over him. He ignored it. He planted his foot down and quickly rotated inwards.

He brought his fist around, it hit Seiryu's side and another splash of oil come out of it, exploding out of it. Of course, Alexander didn't stop. He kept his foot slammed into the ground and he immediately rotated around and slammed into the other side. Alexander continued, kicking it into the next gear. He rotated his entire body around, from there he transferred the momentum from one swing to the next, forming a circle immediately after a punch he brought his fist screeching back and into Seiryu's side. Rapid fast right-to-left-to-right combinations again and again. He kept switching it up, speeding it up without stopping. Seiryu's body was being thrown all around, his oil splashed all about. He was barely holding up under the stress as was. He lashed out, sending his leg whip through once more and into Alexander's face. Alexander ignored the burning pain in that side of his face and stayed sticking to Seiryu. He quickly sped up the combinations he was laying on Seiryu, he couldn't win with sheer force, so he had to win with sheer numbers. He struck again and again, increasing the numbers to a massive amount. Finally with one tremendous forward punch he ended his streak. Seiryu's body was missing chunks all over he appeared as if he was a head, with several chunks torn off, on a twig on top of two thick legs.

"This is FOOLISH!" shouted Seiryu. His body popped back out, re-emerging to its former glory. "You are foolish! You can't possibly hope to finish me!" With a wave of Seiryu's hand, he brought another pulsing wave of oil forth covered Alexander in the gunk. Alexander was thrown back from the force of the wave, the entire ground had been soaked in oil as well. Crap, Alexander knew what was coming next. Seiryu produced another series of matches and struck them upon the box. "Let's put an end to all this foolishness! All of your foolishness, once and for all!" The three matches seemed to burn with the same red-hot intensity as the sun did and yet they seemed to have the same cold desolate aura as the moon. Alexander felt taken back as he stared at the series of matches in Seiryu's hand. "This is the end, dear Alexander. Perhaps if your opponent was anybody, but me." He tossed the match into the pool of oil without even look. It would be near impossible to miss it. Alexander rushed out towards Seiryu, arming himself with one last punch. "What are you doing?" asked Seiryu, "can't you see it is hopeless."

The first match struck the oil, lighting it up and setting off the chain reaction. The flames spread through it all, however, Seiryu was starting to realize it wasn't spreading fast enough. Alexander was still rushing him. "What are you doing?" he asked this time his voice had a bit more of a panicked tone to it. "Stop!" He shouted as he looked at Alexander. The flame started to crawl up his leg, slowly, but Alexander didn't stop running towards him. "Stop, what do you think you are doing?" The flames exploded up Alexander's body, screeching its way all the way up. "Stop! STOP! STO-" It appeared Seiryu's pleas fell on deaf ears. Alexander had rushed right up to him and with one tremendous heavy hit, Alexander's fist touched Seiryu and the sound resonated throughout the area. Seiryu was thrown back, a severe burn mark appearing on his cheek.

"Like I'd listen to a pirate," said Alexander as he stepped through the flames. His body was still ignited, but his iron form was helping him survive, although his once tame and cool blue metal had been transformed into a roaring bonfire of red hot iron. "I just now thought of it. You can't transform into oil if you are getting hit by fire, can you?" Seiryu struggled back to his feet, his body was still like a lifeless doll. "I mean, you may be able to. I don't know, but if you did…wouldn't you be lit up like a Christmas tree?" Seiryu growled. "I thought so. Which means as long as my fists are on fire…I can hit you as much as I'd like." Alexander bolted towards Seiryu.

Seiryu smirked. "Give me your best shot! Most humans don't get this far! Most humans would've died the first time they were lit up, the first time I show them the full extent of my power! I'll relish this challenge! You are putting your life on the line just give to me the ultimate thrill! The chance to fight someone actually capable of hurting me when I'm at my strongest! I won't let your sacrifice be in vain!" Seiryu twisted around, wrapping his body tight and then immediately releasing the tension. His like shot out like a high-powered whip! Just before it came into contact with Alexander's burning body Seiryu severed it! It was like a high-powered cannon came straight in from the side. Alexander faltered to the side as he felt the power burn into him, another splash of oil on the human bonfire, but nonetheless Alexander continued to charge forward.

Alexander was finally in punching range. His fists rang out like cannons! Each punch burst forward like a cannonball, searing the air as it went by. Seiryu was keeping comfortably ahead of Alexander each second a punch came Seiryu managed to side-step it, avoid it or the like. He wasn't about to get burned by his own power again. Alexander brought his right fist forward, ripping through the air as well as Seiryu's body. Moments before though, Seiryu's head had shot up into the sky. Though his body burned his head remained unscathed and from that head a new body was formed, including a leg that struck down and hammered into Alexander's head, throwing him back.

Seiryu landed on the ground, completely unfazed by the new turn of events. The devious smile of winning psychopath remained painted on his face. "I didn't eat my Devil Fruit until I was in Grand Line. Devil Fruits are still quite rare, you know, especially Logia at least in the outer Blues, but in the Grand Line you can find them with some looking around and bartering. And I did! I found my fruit in the Grand Line after I made a bounty for myself of over 33 million in the West Blue! I was famous and power before my lips even touched the fruit. But once I ate it my bounty sky-rocketed new doors were opened up! I was more than anyone ever could handle. You'll find that out when I beat you and leave you to roast alive."

Alexander flinched. He didn't much care for Seiryu's boasting, but the fire was getting hot. He was metal so he had increased resistance to it for awhile, but even after that fire became malleable in heat or even worse it would melt in extreme circumstances. He had to end this fight before it got to that degree. He had to score a finishing blow on Seiryu's smug face. And he would do just that! He rushed in, he didn't have a moment to lose.

The longer he waited the more damage he would suffer. Alexander closed in and without missing a beat fired a series of quick jabs that tore through the air, but sadly none of them tore through Seiryu. His Devil Fruit made his entire body fluid, he could bend it or stretch it or even shrink it to any size or shape if it would help him avoid a punch. Alexander kept the speed of his punches up, some of them grew in closer, but Seiryu kept his attention focused and kept avoiding them. It looked like it would be a poor fight for Alexander, but he kept his will strong.

He stuck to Seiryu, not allowing him to back up and gain more space that would be another stupid move and Alexander was afraid he reached his quota for stupid moves during this fight…such as attacking while you were on fire. "**Ferric Fist!" **He fired a quick punch, this one through some miracle managed to graze Seiryu's cheek. **"Damascus Kick!" **Intending to capitalize on his luck, Alexander swung his leg through the air and back down for Seiryu's head. Seiryu dodged backwards, Alexander planted his foot and swung his entire body forward, aiming for Seiryu's chest, "**Full-Body Hammer!" **Alexander slammed his shoulder into Seiryu's chest, or he should've. Once more Seiryu made a gaping hole in his body where Alexander tumbled through it harmlessly. Alexander rolled onto his body, smashing his left arm as he completed the circle. He flinched in pain. That was the arm Suzaku had touched. He paused for a second as he thought of that. He was fighting with handicap this entire fight by not using that arm…maybe it was time to take the training wheels off and fight with both arms…

Alexander laid on the ground for a few more seconds. Working on his plan, finally when the preparations were complete he stood back up. He made a few steps forward and already the difference was obvious. He had a plan and he had his confidence back. He dashed in towards Seiryu at a frightening pace. His right fist shot out. It was like a shotgun in both strength and ferocity. Each punch blew by Seiryu's head as he weaved through the punches. Alexander didn't slow down though he kept his right-handed barrage despite the poor outcome. He just needed to wait for the perfect chance to use his newfound ace. Seiryu's speed was unreal, but Alexander's time came. He leaned a little bit too far to his right in order to avoid Alexander's right punch. And that was the moment Alexander's ace in the hole came screeching out from start, "**Blacksmith's Anvil!" **His left fist jumped into the air and right back down, smashing into Seiryu's head, completely taking him by surprise as well as stunning. Alexander didn't slow down, he realized something when he rolled through the dirt. Hot iron was in fact malleable. Suzaku's Devil Fruit allowed her to change the shape of anything she touched…but with the proper work and conditions Alexander could too. He just needed his iron arm to heat up where he could change it back to normal. Luckily for him…Seiryu provided the conditions for his own defeat.

Fire. A way to bypass both his Devil Fruit's invincibility as well as a way to overcome Suzaku's Devil Fruit. A huge, gaping hole. Of course, the best way to show your appreciation was with a complete tray of knuckle sandwiches! Alexander, now with both of his arms available, rushed the poor stunned Seiryu. His fists came blasting out, a continuous screeching that came after each punch! One after the other rang into Seiryu's face. He was thrown from side-to-side over and over again. Alexander's fists were still lit with flames as he stepped forward again and again, throwing his hips behind each punch. Seiryu's entire body was rocked back one final time as Alexander threw a full-right, scorching the air as well as Seiryu's face throwing him back and against the ground, knocking him out with tremendous power.

* * *

><p>Yeah, perhaps it was a little cheap to have Seiryu's ultimate downfall be his strongest weapon, but if you look at it it also makes the perfect strategy. Who would dare use a weapon they themselves are weak to? It is the perfect bait and switch. Seiryu also isn't that good at taking punches. Its funny, but I think so far all of the Logia Devil fruit users I've used so far have been weak to fire...I think I need to fix this...oh, well, with this over the next arc will soon begin and perhaps Alexander will finally get a breather...or will something else, something far more sinister be rising from the ashes? Also! Just like in Saga I plan a big 100th chapter reveal, except...this time it will take place in chapter 101...but you know...the thought counts.<p> 


	84. Chapter 84 More Trouble Than He's Worth

**More Trouble Than He's Worth**

"Can you patch me through to Rear Admiral, Veri Fresh?" asked Rina as she spoke on the Den-Den Mushi. They had just defeated Seiryu and his crew, ordinarily this meant that she should've been elated beyond all measures, but for some reason the way she spoke told everyone that it wasn't alright. There was something she wasn't telling anyone.

"Hey," the brash voice came over the Den-Den Mushi and right off the back Rina could tell it wasn't Veri Fresh on the other end of the line. "It me, Veri Fresh's daughter, Mary. I hope that's all right with you." She said with a heavy tone of annoyance. Apparently she wasn't too happy with the fact that Rina didn't immediately respond to her introduction. "How did everything go?"

"It's al-all right!" stuttered out Rina. She was nervous enough thinking she would be talking to Veri Fresh, but to find out she was talking to Mary, who not only was a rank above Veri Fresh, but also more easily agitated and hated Alexander's guts from the moment they met, made her even more nervous. "I-I-I just wa-want to report about our m-m-mission. It w-was a su-su-success." She spat out those last few words, just happy that they were off of her tongue and in the air. She paused as she waited for Mary's heated response.

"Where's Alexander," asked Mary. You could almost hear Rina stiffen over the phone. Mary knew she hit the bulls-eye. She got a brief update on the situation before she sent her dad off on another mission, including that something was wrong with the crew. Of course, she was also told that as soon as Alexander called to patch them through to his private line, but Mary chose to ignore those directions. She wanted to hear about this so-called 'golden boy' of the Marines. They had high hopes for him for some reason, but Mary just didn't see it. "Do you want me to repeat myself?" Mary asked, getting noticeably more agitated.

"No, s-sir! Sorry, s-sir!" Rina barked over the line. Then almost right off the back, "I m-mean Madam!" Mary tapped her foot impatiently over the line. She was annoyed enough, but to think that Rina thought that she would get annoyed over something so trivial as titles annoyed her. "We won, so w-we completed our mission, r-right, I was just w-wondering where to head to next."

"Where. Is. Alexander?" asked Mary, pounding out each and every wood with an ominous pound of her hammer. Rina flinched. She didn't know what to say, she was almost positive that the truth would be almost as bad as just dancing around the problem like she was currently doing.

"H-He's…busy?" Rina stated in an almost question-like form as if asking Mary if this was an acceptable excuse. Another pound of the hammer came over the phone causing Rina to flinch and almost drop the Den-Den Mushi. "I'm s-sorry, si-urk, Madam! He's sleeping!" Another slam of the hammer. "He's taking a bath!" Slam. "He's finishing things up on the island!" SLAM! "He's locking the prisoner's away in the prison!" The loudest slam physically possible came over the phone. Rina threw the Den-Den Mushi up into the air and nearly fumbled trying to catch it again.

"I want the truth and I want it now," said Mary. Rina could almost imagine Mary standing above her, her hammer in hand as if she was ready to knock her head clean off with a single swing. "I want to know what that wretched slime ball of a man has done now. You'll tell me, right?" Rina swallowed as she tried to think of the right way to put this. It seemed like anything she could think of now, any lies would just dig them in deeper, but the truth wasn't really nice on her tongue or Mary's ears either. "I'm sorry," insinuated Mary, "did I not make myself clear. Let me start over, 'You tell me what that wretched slime ball of a man has done right this instant!'"

"He…he…," Rina stuttered, she was slightly choking on her own words. "He…he hit me." There was a sound of Mary's hammer hitting the table. She was incredibly irritated. She couldn't believe this. She was annoyed beyond all limits. Rina froze as she felt her cheek, it still stung from yesterday. She recounted the events from the day past after his fight with Seiryu.

(-yesterday-)

Seiryu was down on the ground. He was completely unconscious. He was defeated, melting into the ground. His oily body completely ruined. Alexander was standing above his flattened body. He had doused the flames once more with by suffocating it against the ground and in some of the mud. "I can't believe it. A pirate from the Grand Line and even he didn't stand a chance." Alexander rolled his previously injured left arm around. It was better now. He was thankful for that. He looked down at Seiryu, who was still on the floor in a poor puddle of pain. Alexander's leg swung back and then quickly snapped forward. The leg smashed into Seiryu's forehead and sent him rolling to the side.

"Alexander!" screeched Rina as she hefted her body onto her own two feet and walked towards him. Alexander turned his head to face her, but not after he launched another swift kick to Seiryu's head. "Stop!" Rina grabbed onto Alexander's arm and pulled him back," don't do it! He's done! He's unconscious! We've won! Let's just arrest him and move on."

"I'm sure the thousands of people this guy has killed are more than happy about your desire to follow the law to the T," brought up Alexander, he shook his head and looked down at Seiryu. "Speaking of which Suzaku's not entirely innocent in this matter, is she? " Alexander turned around and started to walk over to the poor woman who was completely knocked unconscious. Rina dashed in between the two, spread her arms wide as she glared up at Alexander. Alexander smirked as he looked down at her. He found it funny that she thought she could actually stop him. It would probably only take a single punch from him to knock her out of his way. "Are you protecting a pirate?" asked Alexander as he took another step forward, he was taller than Rina. His huge body was bulking over Rina, blocking her entire line of vision. She couldn't see a thing beyond his iron body. She took a step back; she didn't feel too confident when she was face-to-face with him. She knew what he was; she knew she didn't stand much of a chance.

"I'm p-protecting a person," muttered Rina, "I'm protecting a human being. I don't want you to kill her, she's unconscious. She's done. She's not going anywhere we can transfer her to Impel Down, where she'll live for the rest of her days." Suddenly Rina's head was jerked to the side as Alexander' hand snapped into it. Rina was thrown to the side, while it was just a simple slap from Alexander is had the same density, force, and weight behind it like a club for Rina. Rina hit the ground, her hand gripping the swelling bruise. She was in a lot of pain. Her fight with Suzaku still hasn't worn off yet and now this. She looked up at Alexander; she had sharp painful breaths as she watched his movements. Alexander scoffed at her and pulled his hat down over his eyes.

"A Marine protecting a pirate," scoffed Alexander as he began to walk away from her, leaving her laying on the ground in pain.

(-Back to current time-)

Mary pounded her hammer on the table once more. She was annoyed with Alexander once more. She tapped her fingers on the table, she waited for a few more seconds to pass as she calmed down. Finally after she finished seething she sat back down at her table, propping her hammer up against it. Mary turned around to a stack of papers and pulled them up, laying them out on her table. She produced a feather pen and dipped it in ink, "I'll see about arranging a transfer for you."

"NO!" shouted Rina quickly into the Den-Den Mushi and then immediately calming back down when she realized what she did. "I mean I appreciate the offer, but I think I need to see this crew through…if you are okay with that." Mary cleared her desk in a fit of rage. Rina flinched as she listened to the noise. "I'm sorry?" she apologized, although she didn't quite understand what she was apologizing for. She was saving her a ton of paperwork as well keeping Alexander's record clean.

"Why?" asked Mary as she cradled her head in her hands, "Why are you protecting him?" She pounded her hammer onto her table, nearly cracking it in two. "He deserves it! He deserves to be tossed out of the Marines! He deserves to be kicked out and abandoned, okay? Just give me the word, I'll transfer you, I'll kick him out! I'll get rid of him, you understand me?"

"W-Why do you hate him so much?" asked Rina, her voice barely peeking through Mary's rage. Rina heard Mary huff and fall back into her chair. Rina remained quiet for a few more seconds waiting for Mary's response. Suddenly she spoke up, "You seem to have it out for him. Why do you want me to sell him down the river?"

Mary sighed as she leaned back in the chair. She remained quiet for another few seconds; she picked up the papers she placed on her table and moved them back to her filing cabinet. "I got your new assignment right here. Veri Fresh went there ahead of you guys. It's an important mission, but I'll let him brief you when you get there." Mary continued to shuffle around her desk, avoiding talking to Rina.

"Um, miss," Rina's voice quivered over the Den-Den Mushi once more. She wanted to know about the Mary's dislike for Alexander now. "I-If you ever need someone to listen, I'm here." There was an annoying sound on the other end of the line as Mary dug her fingernails into her wooden desk, apparently extremely annoyed with Rina's prying. "I'm sorry…just, uh, give me the co-ordinates and I'll go talk to Veri Fresh about our next mission." The orders were basically just Mary barking out numbers, Rina was sure if someone was listening to their conversation they might mistake it as a conversation between her and Hayate.

Once Rina got the co-ordinates she politely disconnected, even though Mary couldn't see her, Rina bowed her head out of respect. Rina sighed and stretched back in the chair. It seemed to her like she was doing more and more of Alexander's job lately. Her hand went up and touched the growing bruise on her cheek. She didn't want to believe that that was Alexander. She had some belief in her captain and that belief, that faith told her he was a good guy…maybe…maybe she was being foolish in her belief. It was basically unfounded faith, but for some reason Rina couldn't just dismiss it. She trusted Alexander, even if he did hit her.

(-with Mary Fresh-)

She moved back over to the filing cabinet. She shuffled through them in search of the age old folder, the one that started this horrible chain of events. She found it. An old box that required a three digit password to open. She sighed as she looked it over. She dragged her fingers across the hardwood box, listening to them as they clicked across. Alexander existed in every record of the way. The World Government worked hard to provide that. He had fake birth records, a fake family who died a fake death, a fake education, a fake first job, and finally a very real application the Marines. For anyone who was on the outside looking in Alexander was a perfectly respectable everyday average citizen.

The only thing that could destroy his perfectly fake identity was in this box. And that was because what was in this box was everything detailing his 'birth'. The contents of this box was confidential. No one below the rank of Vice Admiral, aside from Veri Fresh and a few others could look at what laid inside. Mary tapped on the wood once again. She had read the files over and over again ever since meeting with Alexander. There were dozens of questions that cropped up numerous times while she read it, originally she had wanted to get to the bottom of. However, she supposed the most prominent was…why did they stop it?

* * *

><p>Okay, I was having a few problems with this story mainly that Alexander seemed 'too good' and I don't like that in my main characters. Other than that this did have an ulterior purpose. Namely two, one is it shows Alexander kind of on the brink...which isn't good as the next arc will probably push him over with everything its got along with the BIGGEST plot twist ever to grace Iron Hammer's (or Saga's) pages. The second thing is it shows Rina's blind trust in her captain, which as you can guess will probably be pushed to their limits as well. Anyways, now that I've sufficiently teased you...have a nice day.<p> 


	85. Chapter 85 Another Protection Mission

**Another Protection Mission...**

**And Who is This Girl From Alexander's Past?**

The crew arrived on the island fairly quickly. It was a short sail from their location to it and the crew was never more grateful. Alexander did absolutely nothing to hide his annoyance of the crew. He didn't do anything like outright attack, he just mostly ignored them. He didn't touch any of the food that Reggie served up, instead he preferred to go to the kitchen and make a sandwich rather than enjoy the four-course meals Reggie made day after day after day in an attempt to reconcile with her captain. He didn't laugh or grimace of even acknowledge the array of jokes Specter through into the air. No the tension aboard the ship was still on high.

They were grateful to be off of the island and away from the haunting atmosphere of the 'One Eon'. Alexander moved past everybody and walked right past them all. He didn't try to move around them, if his shoulder bumped into one of them and knocked them aside he didn't even apologize. Why should he? They apparently weren't members of the same crew. They didn't think of him as being on the same level as they did. Alexander was used to it. Back when he was training not many people liked him. They all thought of him as some lucky as hell kid who ate a Devil Fruit that he didn't have any real strength beyond that. He showed them all, he graduated as the second strongest person. Thinking about the old days made some old wounds twitch again. He grabbed the back of his neck and twisted it to both sides. It hurt, but nothing bad. He would just ignore these people and focused on his drive, he'd become number one this time.

He looked back at the ship and thought of it. He never put any serious thought into becoming Fleet Admiral, he supposed deep down it was what all Marines secretly wanted. He thought about the possibility of it. One of these days him…being the number one Marine out there. It made him smile at the thought; however, in the end he supposed he wouldn't classify it as his dream. It seemed so far away and he didn't really feel like chasing it. He liked the title, but he didn't really think he'd care for the job. Overseeing all Marines seemed like all work and no reward.

"Is that Alexander and the gang over there?" a sickeningly nice voice rang out causing the entire crew to flinch and grimace. Soon they were greeted by the ever annoying purple onion hairdo and the even more annoying man who sported it. "It is so nice to see you all again. I mean it seems like forever since our last face-to-face chat." Alexander frowned; personally it didn't seem long enough. Veri Fresh paused as he looked over the crew, spending a split second looking at everyone. When he was done appraising their each and individual worth he smiled and broke away, turning his back to them and pointing one finger straight up to the sky.

"I suppose you are all interested in why you were called out here, right?" he asked. It was the first time he was right about anything. "Well, well, well! I say we discuss that delightful topic over tea. Hmm-hmm?" Veri Fresh looked eagerly over at his 'friends' awaiting their answer. They reclined themselves to their fate fairly quickly. Their shoulders slumped and they nodded their heads, Veri Fresh clapped his hands together, excited to once again be able to chat with them. He dashed off in one direction eager to partake in the tea that he had just mentioned. The crew slugged along none of them had the same skip to their steps as Veri Fresh did.

That was how it came to be that four Marines who had just beaten pirates from the Grand Line along with a Rear Admiral who was quite probably capable of defeating them all as well were sitting around in a circle slowly sipping tea. "I'm quite impressed with the news I've received," praised Veri Fresh as he nodded at his tea-drinking partners. "Listening to the tales of your heroics reminded me of my days as a lieutenant when I fought my first pirate from the Grand Line! It's a grand tale, but I know you are busy so I won't bother you with the details…I won…easily."

Alexander rolled his eyes and returned his attention to his own tea. He didn't particularly like the bitter taste, so he didn't really partake in the drinking of the tea. He was just here to learn more about his mission. He had enough with this 0 success rate. This mission would be accomplished in a matter of seconds. He kicked his feet up onto the table, but that immediately earned him a massive amount of evil looks from Reggie, Rina, and even Veri Fresh seemed displeased with his attitude. Alexander shuffled his feet down and onto the floor, he looked away and into the distance.

Veri Fresh sighed and shook his head. He had heard of Alexander's recent personality change, but he had thought nothing of it, but being face-to-face with him made Veri Fresh realize it was all too real. He didn't like them anymore. He didn't seem to be in the mood for goofing off. "Fine," muttered Veri Fresh, setting down his tea, obviously upset that he didn't get to thoroughly enjoy it before getting down to business. "Your mission is simple. We believe one of our own will be targeted by someone. You are here…along with me to protect her until the end of the week when we can finally get a permanent protective detail on her."

Alexander raised his eyebrow and looked over at Veri Fresh. "Why are you here?" he asked. "If it is just protective detail we can easily handle that by ourselves. Even if not a Rear Admiral seems like over-kill. What makes this girl so special that she warrants such extreme precautions? I mean you got four pirates here who are capable of taking down Grand Line Pirates, you, and on top of that…I saw a Marine Base coming onto this island. It seems like we don't need to protect her we need to protect the guy coming after her."

Veri Fresh smirked. He enjoyed it when someone pointed out a problem with their approach. It made him feel proud of that person, however, he also liked pointing out the truth. "Correct," stated Veri Fresh, "however, I assure the man coming after her requires this and more. He's not your average human…you could say. He's not really human." Veri Fresh's choice of words sparked interest in both Alexander and Rina. They were still the only two on the crew who of Alexander's secret. Veri Fresh's statement immediately spoke to them and they knew what to expect.

Alexander felt a chill run up his spine as he thought about it. He knew he wasn't the only one. He was the first, but not the only one of the weapons turned 'human'. There were several designs of the Hito-Hito no mi, of course, the news of their usage had never been made public. Alexander felt completely in shock at the news and if he wasn't sitting down already, he probably would've collapsed. There was an overwhelming feeling of excitement that washed over him. He paused for a second…if this man was like him a part of the Marine's experiments to create humans…wouldn't he technically be a good guy?

Veri Fresh continued, "anyways, while we do have the help of the Marine Base. I'm afraid I don't know them very well and in a situation like this you can't be too careful. So I wanted some people I know and trust to come down here." Veri Fresh was apparently ignoring the fact that he had never met neither Reggie nor Specter. "Let's move on with the important business matters. I'll introduce you to the person you'll be protecting alongside me with. Olivia, come on down!" Alexander and the crew turned their attention to the staircase where a young woman was descending the staircase. "This is Olivia Allbright, the girl you are to be protecting."

The name 'All Bright' fit her well. Her skin was slightly tanned, but most of that was hidden beneath a thin pure white shirt that was once again hidden underneath a short brown vest. She wore tight black pants that descended down to her ankles where they met pink almost ballet-like shoes. Her hair was light blonde. Her lips were slightly plump, yet somehow still delicate. She closed her light blue eyes, cocked her light fragile head, and spoke with the voice of an angel, "I'm Olivia, how are you today?"

The entire crew was impressed. They were nearly speechless as they looked at her, they were immediately taken back by her kind appearance. This girl was a Marine? She looked delicate, so kind and gentle…definitely not the kind of girl who should be out beating up pirates. She looked more like princess, she acted more like princess. The way she walked and talked was almost heavenly. Specter rushed up to her and extended his hand with a coy smile on his face, "I am doing lovely. Not as lovely as you are, though." Reggie brought her frying pan sliding back into Specter's face, forcing him back and away from her.

"Don't worry about him," said Reggie as she walked up to Olivia, "we try to keep him caged most of the time. He doesn't bite...but he does have a bad habit of exploding. I'm Elizabeth Carter, but my friends call me Liz."

"We call her Reggie! Its a boy name, yet she's a girl!" shouted Specter throwing his finger up into the air in objection. Reggie stomped her high-heeled shoes into his stomach trying to get him to shut-up. Olivia quickly rushed in and went up to Reggie.

"Please stop this," she said, she had a genuine look of concern on her face as she confronted Reggie. She didn't look mad at her, she just looked concerned for Specter. "I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it. I'd love it if you didn't hurt him too badly because of me, okay Liz?" Reggie stopped pounding on Specter and looked away. Such a friendly girl…

Rina noticed something that had originally been turned away from the crew, Olivia's back. "You're…you're a Skypiean," Rina stuttered out. Her stutter was more out of surprise than just her usual speech pattern. Olivia smiled and turned around.

"Yes, I am," she said, giving Rina a demure, yet ever beautiful smile. She turned around and showed off her two wings that were on her back. They were as pure as freshly fallen snow and just as white, too. She smiled as she cocked her head to the side, "I'm rather proud of my heritage. Not too many Skypieans ever leave Skypiea, so I'm a rare breed down here. But it doesn't bother me much, since the people down here are soooo friendly!" Rina smiled it was nice to finally meet such a nice person on one of their mission. After all, the only people she's met so far have been either villains, Dante, and the sexist Jack. It was nice to not only meet, but also to have their mission centered around such a friendly person.

"You didn't tell me it was going to be her, we were defending," stated Alexander, cocking his head over to Olivia while looking down Veri Fresh. A noticeable drop of sweat had appeared on Veri Fresh's brow, he really didn't want to have this conversation in public and not in front of Alexander's crew. "You could've said something about this, the last time we talked."

"You mean when you darted out prematurely in the middle of our conversation," offered Veri Fresh, happy to finally throw Alexander's rather rash behavior back at him. "I would've mentioned it, or something like it if I was given the chance, but I swear I get the feeling you don't like talking to me at all." Alexander looked away, Veri Fresh was closer to the truth than he knew. "Anyways, I would've thought you would've loved to have meet her again, considering how close you two were back in the day, Alexander." The entire crew raised their eyebrow. Alexander never talked about his past, so they had no idea of Olivia's and Alexander's back story.

"Alex?" asked Olivia immediately perking up and popping up past Rina and the rest of the crew. Her eyes lit up as she laid them on the iron captain. "It has been so long!" She said as she leapt forward and wrapped her arms around Alexander's waist.

* * *

><p>A bonus update? Two bonus updates in three days? (the other one being for Saga, but the point still stands). What am I doing? I'm being too nice, yup, too nice...or I just have about 30 chapters of backlog that I desperately need to air. So, yeah, I'm going to try and shoot out more bonus updates for both stories.<p>

Anyways, onto the story. That's right, Alexander is still a jerk. Surprising, ain't it? Most heroes act like good guys aka not jerks, but Alexander is pissed. He has the right to be though, he almost got kicked off of his own crew...by his own crew member (who had every right to kick him off, but I digress). Luckily, Veri Fresh is here to save the day and make everybody happy...or to shift Alexander's rage on him either one works. But the real question I know all of you are asking is...who is this girl? How does she know Alexander? And why does she call him Alex (which if you care to re-read all of Iron Hammer, you'll notice few other characters get this right)?

EDIT: Olivia Allbright is the work of Labyrinth-Designer! I always forget to include these disclaimers! Its probably because I always try to write the characters like their my own...which is probably a bad thing cause I tend to treat Mikoto and Alexander so terribly!


	86. Chapter 86 Passing Out

**Passing Out**

"I can't believe it! It is big brother Alex!" shouted Olivia as she tightened her grip around Alexander's waist. Alexander tried to squeeze his arm in between them so he could pry her loose. He couldn't quite manage it, she was holding on really tight. He guessed it had been awhile, Alexander tried to think back to it and he was fairly certain it was before he had joined the Marines. Back when he was still in training to be able to properly fight. The crew all had different looks on their faces.

Specter looked a little deflated; he was probably expecting something a little…more interesting rather than brother and sister. He supposed he could still get some fun facts out of her about Alexander's life, but that didn't amount to much. Reggie was slightly amused. She found the idea funny that Alexander had a sister; she grew up with an older brother so she guessed that was just something she had in common with Alexander: siblings. Rina, on the other hand, just looked confused. Was it even technically possible for Alexander to have a sibling? Wasn't he a man artificially made in a lab by a group of mad scientists trying better the world?

"Adopted," explained Alexander as he finally managed to pry Olivia off of him. "It is nice meeting you again," he said as he extended his hand, offering her a friendly handshake. "I just would've liked more notice is all." Olivia dodged past Alexander's hand and once more wrapped him in a hug. Alexander wore the look of a defeated man, he already pried her off once. He wasn't interested in doing it a second time. He dragged her around and back to his chair. "Both of us," added Alexander to make sure the crew got the idea. "We both don't have any parents so some random family was kind enough to take us in." Alexander knew that wasn't the truth. The family was fake, Alexander's entire life was fake…except for Olivia. They met at the training camp where Alexander was training, Olivia arrived a few weeks after him. Since they were both new to the school nobody talked to them, Alexander was left alone, Olivia was left alone. They bonded due to that stupid reason. Alexander's 'family', the one set-up by the Marines to act like it, accepted Olivia as their own daughter. She was loved by them and accepted by them as an actual daughter…he was just part of the job.

Veri Fresh laughed. "You can't turn away now, can you?" he asked pointing at Alexander with his cup. "This man is targeting your dear little sister. You can't let him get away with that, can you?" Alexander paused for a second as he looked back down Olivia. Despite her life being in danger, she looked happy. Just happy to see him again. Alexander patted her on the head, quite unsure of how to return the happy feelings. He was happy to see her again, but showing his emotions wasn't exactly something that came easy to him.

"Yeah," said Alexander, a brief warm smile crossing his face. "I'll beat the crap out of him." He bent down and picked up his hat off of the table and placed it back on his head. "I'm going to go for a walk. Olivia, these are my workmates." The crew frowned…the word workmates sounded demeaning. The word 'friend' may be a little bit too soon, but 'crew', 'nakama', something friendlier would've been better. "You're going to need to get to know them, so stay and have some tea with them. We'll catch up later." Alexander quickly left the tea house. Olivia waved him off.

"He seems sadder than he used to be," remarked Olivia as she sharply withdrew her hand back to her lips. She cocked her head to the side. "I think it's a good thing. Back in the day Alexander used to not care about what happened. Mom and dad would ignore him all the time, the teachers and fellow students hated him for some reason, and he used to just shrug it off. I guess if he's upset about something, it must have finally had an impact on him." The crew felt a little bit proud that they apparently had an impact on him…although they felt sadder that it was them leaving him out to dry that apparently had an impact on him.

"Actually…" muttered Specter as he tapped the table with his gun, "I kind of want to talk to Veri Fresh alone about something if you girls don't mind." He stood up from the table and motioned for Veri Fresh to follow him, although Veri Fresh didn't. He just stayed sitting in his chair, his eyes completely focused on Specter as he turned to leave. "You're coming?"

Veri Fresh sighed as he set his tea down. "I was hoping you didn't notice that I wasn't leaving with you…I have an idea how about we go to the spa down town to talk about this! We can get pedicures and manicures and have a good day of it!" Olivia nodded enthusiastically and both Rina and Reggie agreed, although a little more solemnly than Olivia. Specter remained unimpressed and unhappy. He frowned as he looked at Veri Fresh, he was being serious. "It's about Byakko and his arresting officer, isn't it?" Specter looked kind of surprised for a second, but then he realized Veri Fresh probably knew some questions would come up. Questions always came up in a conspiracy theory. "Well you want answers and I want a pedicure!"

Specter was in the sauna almost all day, sitting there and trying to calm down. He had only just met Veri Fresh, and yet he understood why Alexander didn't really care for him. He didn't seem like a Rear Admiral, he seemed so carefree, almost like if the world ended it wouldn't affect him. Specter leaned his head back against the wooden wall. He was waiting for Veri Fresh to come in. Veri Fresh went to get a pedicure and a manicure first. So, Specter was waiting in here for him. He was too preoccupied with other thoughts about Byakko and the Marine who turned his parents in. As insane as he was Specter had a very idealistic opinion of the world. And he didn't like it when an error like that emerged. He didn't like it when someone interrupted his 'perfect' world. And that's what this Marine fellow did. You were supposed to work hard for your money, your promotion, and life, not just create a 'fake villain' and take him out. Specter was slowly growing irritated, his body slumped further down into the wooden bench. Maybe he was jus acting too optimistic about it, but still…he didn't like somebody killing innocents just to gain a promotion. And WHERE THE HELL IS VERI FRESH! Specter stood up quickly and approached the door. He was immediately met with a door to his face, throwing his body backwards and into the wall behind him.

"I'm here!" shouted Veri Fresh in a sing-song voice as he walked into the sauna. He looked around for a few seconds and quickly noticed Specter on the floor. Veri Fresh paused for a few seconds as he thought about what to do. He brought his foot over and ever so slightly nudged Specter to the side underneath the bench. Then with a flourish of his hand, he brought his towel off and laid it over the bench, hiding Specter from view. "Problem solved!" he sang once more as he looked down at his old companion, hidden from view. He turned around to leave and almost immediately felt Specter's hand snap out and snatch at his leg, holding him steady. "Somebody help! A zombie is attacking me!" whined Veri Fresh as Specter pulled Veri Fresh back. Veri Fresh lifted his leg up and quickly jabbed it back down into Specter's head throwing it back. Veri Fresh felt the grip go limp, "never mind…I handled it!"

"You handled it!" shouted Specter, jumping up and tearing through the wooden bench with his strength. "You tried to kill me…twice!" Veri Fresh looked away, turning his view away from Specter and his now swelling his head. "Answer the questions I have about Byakko now or I'll…I'll…what was I saying again?" Specter's hand went up his head and scratched the swelling spot.

"Um…you were mentioning how much you like me!" shouted Veri Fresh trying to turn the conversation to a more pleasant topic.

"Fat CHANCE!" shouted Specter as he lifted his gun up and threatened to wallop Veri Fresh with it. "Byakko and his family. Tell me everything that you know!" A faint stream of blood began to trickle down Specter's face.

"I think we better get you to the doctor first."

(-meanwhile in the bath-)

Reggie, Rina, and Olivia had no idea what was going on in the sauna. How would they? After their manicures and pedicures they turned their attention to a nice, relaxing bath, not a sweat-fest. As a matter of fact they didn't even know their own comrade was currently getting rush to the ER due to blunt force trauma instead they were enjoying a nice and well-deserved soak. "It is so nice to be able to relax like this!" exclaimed Rina as she reclined further back into the comfort of the pool. "Maybe when we get a shipwright we can have them add a spa to the ship."

"I don't think that would be covered as a work-related expense," remarked Reggie. She admitted it would be nice to have such a large hot bath as she slowly snuggled into the warm water, letting it overtake her. However, she also had to be reasonable. Their crew just didn't have the money in order to afford an add-on like. Maybe some time in the future. She snuggled further into the water as she cherished the precious thought.

Olivia was right at home, despite being in the same room as two girls she hardly knew and her only real article of clothing (if you could call it that) was a towel wrapped around her. "If you ever do get a spa installed, you'll have to invite me." She was out of the water, but she was just about to get in. She gingerly stepped forward and placed her foot in the water, it immediately recoiled out of reflex due to the heat. "It's my first time seeing a hot tub" Olivia admitted with a happy smile on her face. She brought her entire body beneath the warm waves and soon relaxed.

However, their relaxation was cut short by the sound of people rushing about just outside of the bath. They tried to ignore it, but eventually they heard some words that they couldn't ignore. "We need to rush Specter to the hospital as soon as possible!" Rina and Reggie almost jumped out of the water, but they remembered that Veri Fresh was with Specter and needless to say that they didn't them…so they would just relax for a little while longer in the soothing waters. They settled in a little deeper, determined not to let Specter's trauma spoil their one day off in a while. They looked over at Olivia expecting her to get up and need to be calmed back down, but to their surprise she wasn't. She had settled in the water and wasn't moving...at all. They waded over to her to check on her and possibly nudge her back to the surface just to reassure them, but they quickly realized…she wasn't just underwater…she was unconscious!

The two of them sprang into action. Reggie bent down and quickly hauled Olivia up and onto the bed, placing her down gently as if she was made of glass. The duo quickly looked over her. Luckily, they had hauled her up onto dry land quick enough and she didn't swallow too much water and wasn't drowning at all, a few pumps on her chest and a quick round of CPR brought her breathing back to normal, but she didn't wake up. She laid on the ground, completely knocked out. Reggie and Rina knew they didn't have a second to waste, they needed to get Olivia to a doctor!

* * *

><p>The popularity poll is being taken down! The final count is...Alexander 5! Specter 2! Hayate 1! Veri Fresh 1! Not a single vote for the girls, huh? Oh, well, doesn't matter as they'll have their time in the spotlight soon.<p>

The crew splits up! Only to have two separate cases of needing to take someone to the infirmary! The question is why? Well, the reason why for Specter is fairly obvious, but why Olivia? Has the assassin already struck? Or are you guys too busy wondering about Alexander's and Olivia's past?

Also, man, am I nice? Do you know how many chapters I've uploaded in the past 7 days (including today)? 5! 5 chapters!


	87. Chapter 87 the Project

**The Project**

Rina and Reggie spared a few more precious seconds watching over their fallen friend, Olivia. They had both spent a few minutes checking up on Specter, but after hearing the story of how it happened from Veri Fresh, they decided it wasn't worth really worrying about. It was just plain ol' clumsy Specter. At least this time there wasn't an explosion involved. Even Veri Fesh had determined that Specter's health wasn't anything to worry about and decided to go check on Olivia. He was busying himself looking over her.

"We don't know what happened," quivered Rina, a little worried about this. She didn't know what happened, she started to assume the worst. "What if this is one of the assassin's attempts to kill her finally taking fruit? Is she going to be alright? Is she going to make it? I-I didn't expect something like this to happen already. I mean we just got put onto her security team and she's already keeled over! It, it's horrible! If only we did a better job…"

"You were in the hot tub," stated Veri Fresh as he leaned back and relaxed. He admitted it, when he heard that Olivia was just knocked out for some reason he too assumed that they had already made a fatal mistake, but just being in the room with Olivia Veri Fresh could already tell what had happened. He felt her hands which were obviously still wet. Her breathing was still sort of ragged from passing out underwater, but it was still nothing serious. Veri Fresh relaxed and let out a breath of relief. "It is nothing major. It is actually quite common. She's a Devil Fruit user after all." Rina and Reggie were both shocked and let it known as they both shouted and leapt back. Neither of them knew how to react to that news. If they had known that sooner than they would've been able to avoid this whole fiasco as well as looking like a couple of idiots.

"What?" asked Rina raising the question. "What kind of Devil Fruit did she eat?" Veri Fresh perked up and looked up towards the sky as if trying to recollect what Devil Fruit it was. Suddenly his eyes became glazed over with a type of mystery and silence…he shrugged it off and resumed his inspection of Olivia making sure that nothing else had happened when she was knocked out. "But if she ate a Devil Fruit," continued Rina trying to piece everything together, "then shouldn't she have woken up by now? Devil Fruit users tend not to black out just by touching water. So something else had to have happened to explain this."

Reggie nodded, "only thing that coming contact with water does immediately to Devil Fruit users is sap their strength and drains them of their Devil Fruit powers. So unless she was only conscious because of her Devil Fruit powers she should've stayed awake for a few more seconds at the very least. And let's face it no Devil Fruit bestows the ability to do something as fundamental as stay awake." Rina's head snapped up. Reggie was wrong…

The Hito-Hito no mi would bestow such a power if used on a person. If the Hito-Hito no mi's ability were to suddenly disappear so too would the person's ability to remain alive or in a lesser case stay awake. Rina shook her head, the Hito-Hito no mi was a one-of-a-kind fruit that turned its user into a living breathing human and it was already in use and since no two similar Devil Fruits could be in existence. That couldn't be it…unless Olivia wasn't human! The Hito-Hito no mi was the Devil Fruit that allowed the person, animal, or thing that ate to become human. The word 'human' is the keyword. Olivia wasn't human, she was a Skypiean, so she didn't eat the Hito-Hito no mi, but one of its branches. The Hito-Hito no Mi: Skypiean Model or something like that. She supposed it was possible, why stop at Alexander? Why not create an entire army of artificial humans? It wasn't just possible, it was logical. Alexander's physical strength was on a whole other level than regular humans and he was just the first one they made. If they kept making them and refining the creation process…the perfect human was a possibility.

"I see you understand it," said Veri Fresh as he sighed and shook his head. "The lengths we go to preserve peace creates some terrible accidents along the way." Reggie looked at Veri Fresh with the question written all over her face 'what the heck was he talking about?' "I'm sorry Reggie," apologized Veri Fresh, solemnly. "I was just thinking about how many people have died trying to protect her and the others. It's a shame." Reggie still didn't quite get how he got there from their questions, but she supposed he was right all the same; better just chock it up to Veri Fresh's weirdness.

"Does Alexander know?" asked Rina. As odd as it was for Veri Fresh to hold back such an important detail it was even weirder for their own captain to withhold such important information. Veri Fresh paused for a second as he rubbed his chin, contemplating the weight of his answer as if it was a very important answer that could change the way of the rest of their lives. Finally Veri Fresh sighed and nodded.

"I suppose he does," brought up Veri Fresh, "or he should. We did not withhold their status from each other and if anything their similar upbringing should've made it obvious. It was really up to the man in charge if their Devil Fruit powers were disclosed to each other." Veri Fresh tried to remain as cryptic as possible, he knew that Reggie did not know of Alexander's status as an artificial human, but it made the answering of Rina's question all the harder.

However, it seemed like Reggie had caught on. "You guys are keeping something from me, aren't you?" she asked, as she bit down on her own tongue, scared she knew what the answer was. Both Rina and Veri Fresh fell silent when she asked that question, neither of them wanted to answer, which pretty much answered the question for Reggie. "Why are you keeping something me?" she asked, striding for them. Neither of them flinched, but neither of them offered up any answers for her. "I'm a part of this mission, you know?" Her shoulders sagged, she was feeling left out. Suddenly as if switch had been thrown, Reggie stepped forward, jabbed her thumb towards her chest and shouted at them, her sadness being completely replaced with outrage. "I have the right to know if something is up with the person I'm supposed to be protecting!" Veri Fresh hummed and distracted his gaze from her, Rina didn't act too much better, her eyes fell straight down to the tiled floor.

"It is n-not our place to tell you," Rina muttered out under her breath. However, her words didn't comfort Reggie in the slightest, she still felt left out. One of the people she had trusted apparently had been keeping something from her. She looked over at Veri Fresh, she was absolutely appalled by Rina's actions and expected something of similar shock on the other witness' face, forgetting that the other witness was just as guilty. However, she was met with somber silence. Veri Fresh's face didn't twitch nor was he smiling, he was just staring back at her, hoping she'd understand their dilemma. Reggie apparently didn't. She stomped her foot and turned away, heading for the door, leaving her crew mate, superior, and unconscious friend to handle the consequences without her.

"Wait!" shouted Veri Fresh. His voice caught Reggie's attention and caused her to turn around, even Rina snapped her head over to him, a look of shock etched on her face. "If it makes you feel any better Specter is just as clueless as you are." Reggie's frying pan was sent flying back and into Veri Fresh's skull, unleashing a very satisfying crack for Reggie. Reggie smirked as she saw Veri Fresh get thrown off of his chair and onto the floor. Reggie quickly left not really in the mood to answer the questions as to why she just assaulted her superior.

"Um…Veri Fresh?" asked Rina, concerned for her superior's well-being. Veri Fresh shook his head and stood up. He had a bit of swelling going on in the front of his head, but he seemed unperturbed by it. His daughter had done worse to him. "I feel sorry for Reggie," Rina muttered as she turned her lovingly gaze towards the door Reggie had just left out of. Veri Fresh twisted his lips into a frown. "I feel like we should try to do something to make it up to her. But what can we do to make it up to her…I mean it is Alexander's and Olivia's secrets not ours."

"It is to be expected," stated Veri Fresh as he grabbed his shoulder, a sharp pain was in re-emerging in his shoulder as he thought about his own respective past. "We all have secrets that we hide from our loved ones. Alexander's secret is his very existence and on top of that it is incredibly top secret as decided by the higher-ups. Ever since he was first created he was told that his creation was a top-secret and not to be told to anyone. He stayed around for another month while we completed the basic tests making sure he was fully functional. Then he was shipped away to the training facility. I'm sure the rest is fairly obvious, he trained, joined the Marines. Everything went according to the Marine's plans."

"When did Olivia come into the picture?" asked Rina. She knew of Alexander's back story, she was more interested in the new person, Olivia.

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it…" Veri Fresh said with a slight dejected tone to his voice. It was obvious that he wasn't comfortable with what he going to say. "Alexander was a proto-type." Veri Fresh leaned back in his chair as he thought of the old days. "After Alexander's creation we noticed a few discrepancies. He wasn't…complete. He seemed to lack a few human tendencies here and there. He was the perfect 'Marine', perfect 'soldier', but he's far from the perfect 'human'. The higher-ups decided to do a second test-run, Void Furrow's genius was the reason we had Alexander and we decided a second try was in order. We had Void Furrow practice on making a nicer, more open to emotion kind of person. However, it was a matter of trial and error. Turning those elements up, screwed up other elements. She's nowhere near the perfect soldier Alexander was."

"You're talking like they're not human at all," argued Rina, with a defiant voice. She looked over at Olivia who was still passed out on the table next to them. "They deserve better than that, Veri Fresh!"

"I'm talking like how we used to talk about them back in the day," Veri Fresh continued. "We did not have a high tolerance for them back in the day. This experiment was seen to be the end of all regular Marines. That we'd cut down on the number of human applicants in favor of these artificial humans. So a lot of people were against it. Void Furrow was still going after it feverishly in a mad attempt to 'perfect' this world. Of course, two failures in a row wasn't settling well with him. He was in all ways, shapes, and forms a perfectionist. The first failure in Alexander upset him, the second drove him to the brink…I'm afraid when conducted the third experiment he was even less sane."

"Third?" asked Rina. There was Alexander, Olivia, and now a third person. A human, skypiean, and what was the third? It was questionable what kind of Devil Fruit gave birth to the third. She was intrigued. "Who is the third?"

Veri Fresh chuckled to himself and leaned back forward towards Rina, a serious look overcame his face. "He's the man hunting Olivia."

* * *

><p>Bonus UPDATE! Tomorrow's my birthday, I'm getting paid today, and I'm in a good mood. What's a better reason than posting a bonus update?<p>

Okay, explanations (cause I know someone is going to start pointing out logical fallacies): 1) According to Oda Devil Fruit users are only affected if the water reaches up to their knees, Olivia was almost completely submerged. 2) Like Chopper Olivia and Alexander return to their hybrid form if exposed to water (prolonged exposure like half an hour or more may force them back to their original form). 3) Its my story...I'll do what I want.

My apologies to Labyrinth-Designer I decided that the Hito-Hito no mi: Model Skypiean sounded better to me than the proposed name. Also, Olivia is one of those submitted homunculuses (homunculi?) I asked for a while back.


	88. Chapter 88 The Term is Artificial Human

**The Term is 'Artificial Human'**

(-Three Years Ago-)

Alexander had been created a little over two weeks ago, Olivia was just created a little while ago, and the Marines were already looking into pursuing this new technology that they had gotten their hands on. Veri Fresh came by and was checking up on things by himself. One of his old crew members had been the creator of this. Veri Fresh admitted it, he was skeptical when he first saw Void Furrow's calculations and even when he saw the experiment proven true Veri Fresh knew right away the implications this meant. He wasn't like the rest of them. He didn't feel threaten by the promising new cadet, rather he felt worried about what the Marines were dipping their fingers into. He had recently gotten to know the Marines' underbelly. He had been a Rear Admiral for awhile now, he knew his chance of being promoted again were slim, so he settled into place as he looked over one of his old crew members, Void Furrow.

Void was a skinny young man, well, young compared to Veri Fresh. Veri Fresh had just hit his 32nd birthday; Void had just started to push 24. His entire body was contained in a heavy yellow hazmat suit with a black streak going down the middle. While the materials didn't seem to serve any purpose in this situation as the materials weren't hazardous in the slightest Void Furrow still needed it. He had a compromised immune system. The suit was to keep the normal airborne diseases that didn't bother anybody else from bothering him. Void Furrow lived his entire life in that suit even while they were out at sea Void always wore that thing. Veri Fresh knew it made perfect sense, Void Furrow was being reasonable in his approach to remain healthy, but nonetheless, Veri Fresh couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for him…even today on the day of his greatest achievement. Two of his projects had failed, he had moved on to his next, but the signs of perfectionist personality had already shown their signs. A twitch of his hands here, followed by loud cursing, and he had even punched one of the other scientists once due to his rage at his own failure. Veri Fresh was just humming and watching, if something went wrong, he'd step in, but until then he remained out of Void Furrow's way as Veri Fresh was not very good with machines.

Void Furrow slammed his hand down on one of the tables again, his rage taking root. He twisted around and knocked the table up into the air and watched it fall again. The third one proved to be the most problematic apparently. His first was as much of a test as anything was. He wanted to make sure he got his calculations right and he did to a certain degree, the second was him trying to perfect the formula…and he failed. A third failure was just out of the question for him, this had to be perfect, but his calculations they had failed twice before, so the third time didn't seem as promising. Not to mention the stress of his own perfectionist A-Type blood wasn't helping him at all. He had files amongst files in his room, all ordered by the time he discovered them…they were even catalogued down to the second. Veri Fresh was astounded by the man's brain, but nonetheless he didn't find any of his actions today astounding. He seemed to be a teenager stressing out right before a big test. It didn't suit the careful, cautious and possibly hypochondriac man Veri Fresh knew. Void Furrow needed to get his act together and fast.

Suddenly Alexander had wondered up with little Olivia in tow. Despite the fact that they were modeled and crafted to be near adults both of them seemed to be child-like in actions still. They were new to this world knew nothing about aside from what the men in lab coats had told them. Veri Fresh smiled and beckoned them over to him, however with no knowledge of this world came no understanding that Veri Fresh was his superior, stronger than him, and someone who should not be insulted Alexander blurted out, "your hair is funny." Olivia giggled for a second, but when she caught sight of Veri Fresh's stern eyes she ducked behind Alexander again. The difference in their personalities as well as their 'failures' were both obvious in that split second. Alexander was too blunt, he would be a good soldier, but if he ever got promoted or had to give a speech he would probably wind up insulting someone in an instant. Olivia, on the other hand, lacked the courage and bluntness that would serve her well in her future as a Marine. It was a matter of being too blunt and too shy. Neither would fair for the 'perfect human' Void Furrow had promised the higher-ups his research would yield.

"My hair is kind of wacky," said Veri Fresh as he smirked and returned his attention to the experiment. He liked Alexander immediately, he supposed. The kid was brave, courageous, and he didn't care if he was too blunt, he was kind of right. Everybody always told him his hair was wacky. Veri Fresh still didn't know what to think of with Olivia, she seemed alright, but this was the Marines…she wouldn't last two weeks. Void Furrow threw another hissy fit from inside the room, "Calm down, Void!" Veri Fresh shouted and waved to him. "Just think of happy thoughts! Ion smashers and particle accelerators." Veri Fresh had absolutely no idea what those words meant, but he thought they suited the genius who was working down below.

Void Furrow turned around, originally planning to return Veri Fresh's comment with a sharp, stinging remark, probably insulting his hairdo, but Void Furrow's eyes narrowed as he looked at the two people next to him. His two failures! Void Furrow had made several appeals to the Admirals to destroy them…give him more chances when they got their hands on their Devil Fruits, but thanks to some warm-hearted plebian in the ranks he was turned down…several times. In truth, he didn't want to destroy them for more chances…he just wanted them out of his sight forever. He hated them. He hated the way they looked, the way they walked, the way they smelled! They absolutely reeked of failure! He hated them for that reason. A constant reminder of his failures for him. This one would be different, thought Void as he turned his back to Veri Fresh. This one would correct his failures, he knew it would…he tapped away into it. It would get rid of them…that's what Void Furrow wished for.

He used a simple program, he ignored all common sense. He got rid of Alexander's bluntness along with Olivia's cautious nature replacing them with a keen edge and a haphazard courage to delve forward. He looked over, he realized that they had given him the perfect weapon to represent this 'ideal'. A katana.

(-back to modern times-)

Veri Fresh leaned back in his chair. "And that's the summary of it. That's the dark side to the homunculus project we've been working on…as Veri Fresh called it. Some higher-ups gave it prettier names like 'The Justice Initiative' or 'The Next Soldier'. I've always called it as it was…artificial humans." Veri Fresh sighed as he read Rina's mind, "I know, I know. You think of Alexander as just another human. I accept that, I understand that. I've grown to consider Alexander something close to my own son. I've been watching him grow; I've been put in charge of him for the longest time."

"Why were you?" asked Rina. She realized it was a bit of personal question perhaps, but she believed it was a good one. And judging by the look on Veri Fresh's face it was quite possible it was one that hit a hard spot for him. "I-I mean it wasn't just because you were friends with Void, was it?" Only Vice Admirals and above were supposed to be in the loop, Veri Fresh was just a Rear Admiral, it didn't make any sense for him to know about it. Not to mention but from the way it sounded both Void Furrow and the World Government were extremely cautious people especially about this experiment. Why would they let Veri Fresh in? Was it really just because they were old friends? Then again…Rina remembered Jack's, Reggie's brother, recounting the story of how his dad died. Veri Fresh hadn't told him about it then so it wasn't open to all friends or else Reggie's dad would've been let in on the secret almost immediately…Veri Fresh had told her about the secret of Alexander…however, it was painfully obvious that Veri Fresh was still holding something back. His daughter seemed to be holding back the news as well.

Veri Fresh sighed, but suddenly before he could start his sentence Olivia was starting to rise. She grunted in pain as she lifted her body off of the bed. Her entire body ached as she looked around, unsure of what was going on. She looked at Rina and then at Veri Fresh, "what's going on Veri Fresh?" she asked.

"You touched water again," explained Veri Fresh. He sighed as he motioned for Rina to come closer, "anybody like Alexander or Olivia fall unconscious immediately upon being more than half-submerged in water. Just like normal Devil Fruit users they are weak to water, but due to the fact that their Devil Fruit powers are vital to them living even the slightest drop in their power, such as being in contact with water, results in a big change. Not only that, but contact with water comes with other side-effects such as short-term memory loss. The longer they are submerged the more they revert back to being weapons. Their memories are slowly whittled out of their bodies. Luckily, she was only submerged underwater for a few minutes, so she probably only forgot a few hours of her life…in other words, the time she met you, Specter, and Reggie." Rina nodded her head, she guessed it made sense.

"Why didn't she revert to her weapon form?" asked Rina. She was curious about that more than anything else. It seems like if the sea saps people of their Devil Fruit power, the very first thing to happen should've been Olivia transforming into a weapon, not her falling unconscious…she supposed they were lucky that didn't happen. They probably wouldn't have even noticed poor Olivia if she transformed back into her weapon…which come to think of it, Rina had no idea what that was either.

"Zoan Devil Fruits especially ones of the Hito-Hito no mi are special," pointed out Veri Fresh. "They don't act like normal Devil Fruits in that the instant they touch water they lose all powers. What happens is the water tends to drain Devil Fruit users of their powers and make it where they can't use it, however, if it cancels out the Devil Fruit powers then that means they can't transform because the power has been temporarily removed from the equation. If they can't transform, they can't turn into weapons again…or at least that is my belief. I'm sure if left in the water long enough she would've returned to her weapon form."

"Please be a dear and go get Alexander," asked Veri Fresh before turning back to Olivia, "I'll try to fill her in on the details before everybody else gets here. But I'm afraid Alexander will need to know about this incident before we get too involved with everything. He is your captain after all!" Rina sighed.

Despite learning that Olivia becoming unconscious was perfectly normal, she still felt buried in bad news. The story from Veri Fresh had helped her to understand what was going on and possibly even understand the reason behind Alexander and Olivia, but she still felt like the world was slowly coming to an end. Alexander still hadn't forgiven her for her blatant overthrowing and now it seemed like she was hated by Reggie as well. The only person on the crew she still got along with was apparently going to be Specter…and she didn't want that! Hayate barked happily at her feet as if reminding her that she wasn't alone in this crazy world. She sighed as she looked back about to say good-bye to Veri Fresh when she realized exactly what the scene was…it was a purple onion telling a living weapon about what had happened because she lost her memory by coming in contact with water…maybe the world was crazy after all. She kept her eyes trained forward and turned the doorknob, pulling the door back she was amazed to find a man standing out there.

He was crouched down, nervous as heck as he thought about it. He seemed to be busying himself and talking to himself about something as if having some kind of grand debate about the meaning of life right out in the hallway in front of their room. He seemed to be fretting about something. He was dressed in a white-button down shirt and black pants. He had a black jacket slung around one of his arms and a comb in his hair as he made few more nervous swipes with it through his buzz cut styled hair.

Rina couldn't help, but ask, "May I help you?"

* * *

><p>I don't like starting chapters with the whole (-Three years ago-) thing at the top, I'd rather just have the words speak for themselves, but this time it felt a little awkward without it there. Okay, quick rules for Alexander and Olivia 1) They immediately pass out when water goes up to their waist (they however like all Devil Fruit users feel the effects when the water goes up to their knees and their power is immediately cut short) 2) They can't willfully switch between forms at such a degree either (They can be forced out by certain means to be explained later) 3) Like Chopper they stay in their hybrid form until...um...how about an hour? An hour of being submerged forces the into their weapon form. 4) There are other important side-effects about being in the water for them, but those will have to wait as they are plot points for future arcs.<p>

ALSO MAN! I really want to get this arc over with! No offense, I love this arc, I really do, but the next like two arcs have some really good plot twists that will change the way the Iron Hammer of Justice is read! Anyways, sit down, get relaxed and keep reading and reviewing. I'll see about getting some Bonus Updates up soon (you know, as soon as school lets me have my life back...how does the Summer of 2028 sound?)

FINALLY, a lot people ask me what the correct term is for people like Olivia and Alexander. It varies between people. Veri Fresh goes with 'Artificial Human', I say 'Homunculus' as its a tad bit shorter and sounds a little cooler, other people who you will read as will call it things like 'Abominations', 'Experiments', 'Fakes', or 'Replicas'. Just say something similar to that and I'll know what you are talking about. LONG POST!


	89. Chapter 89 The Other Targets

**The Other Targets...**

The man swerved around, spinning on the balls of his black dress shoes and immediately came face-to-face with Rina. He had a stunned and slightly embarrassed look on his face, he was obviously at a loss for words…as most people would be if they were found lurking outside of a girl's hospital bed. He immediately extended his right hand, "I'm Dale Marrow, nice to meet you." He quickly realized that that hand still had his comb in it, he withdrew it into pocket, dropped the comb off and extended his hand once more to Rina. Rina looked at the hand with something of mild disgust…not because of the man behind it, but because it was absolutely drenched with sweat. But still it was rude to turn down a handshake, Rina extended her hand and locked hands with the man and tried to keep her mind focused on something other than the squishing noise his hand made as they shook.

"I-I'm-I'm Rina Mitsukomi Chiran," she managed to choke out as she tried to feign a smile with the young man, but as much as she tried her attention kept falling down to his sweaty and somewhat loose handshake. It wasn't firm at all. Rina had heard dozens of times over that you could judge a man from the grip of his handshake. If that was true then this man, and pardon her French, but this man was a wimp…a sweating wimp. Rina immediately yanked her hand back, glad to be free of the man's sweaty grip and sighed. Now her hand was soaked in some other man's sweat…

"You're disappointed in me, aren't you?" asked Dale, tears already welling up in his eyes as he looked at Rina, who obviously didn't like him based on the first impression. "It is okay..." he said dejected as he looked to the side, dropping down to a crouch and quickly huddling close to the wall, a dark cloud of pessimism hanging over his head. "You don't have to tell me, I can tell…I have a lot of experience of people being disappointed in me." Rina paused for a second in all honesty, she really should be heading out to find Alexander like she was asked, but she couldn't just leave this guy here to mope…could she? She shook her head, that wasn't a real option. She'd just talk it over with him for a quick second.

"Uh, Dale, was it?" asked Rina, she honestly blocked out his name…she could only think of his sweat, loose handshake, and obvious pessimistic attitude. "If I may ask why are you here?"

Suddenly Dale leapt to his feet, smashing his fist into the palm of his hand. "Oh, yeah! I'm here to see Olivia." As if the magic words had been said the cloud of pessimism had vanished and his sweat had disappeared…if only for a second as Dale immediately jumped back to his corner and huddled against the wall. "But she probably doesn't want to see me…I'm just a lowly, pathetic Marine doctor…my sister said so." He let out a brief sigh, "as does my parents." Rina wasn't a little bit taken back as it was obvious this wouldn't be a quick 'fix' like she expected, this guy needed years of therapy.

Rina sighed. "Stand up real quick," she said, motioning for Dale to get up off of the ground. Dale just remained sitting in a puddle of his own pessimism with a look on his face similar to a puppy who had just been kicked, it was pathetic. "Stand up." Rina commanded in a tone that proved to be very effective with him. Rina sighed as she tried to think of the best, most heart-warming way to do this. Suddenly realizing that every moment she wasted here was another moment Alexander was undoubtedly getting into trouble she sighed, turned around, knocked on Olivia's door, swinging it open and giving Olivia a quick, "Dale is here to see you." With that Rina quickly dashed off, not wanting to face the consequences of her very Alexander-like approach, however as she mentioned several times she did not have the time nor the patience to deal with him right now.

Dale stood in the doorway for a few more seconds, unsure of how to react, however Olivia called to him, "Dale! Dale, is that you?" Dale creaked forward and stepped into the room as stiff as a statue, he quietly waved from the edges of the doorway. "Come on in!" Olivia exclaimed, her face lighting up as she blocked out Veri Fresh. "I was wondering if you would be coming by to visit."

"Yes, yes, yes," continued Veri Fresh as he nodded towards Dale. The two of them had chatted before. Dale was an excellent doctor. As a matter of fact, he was the one overseeing Specter's operation. . . . SPECTER! "Excuse me, real quick, miss!" Veri Fresh shouted, bolting up from his chair and towards the door. "I must see the man I brought to this hospital because of an event completely unrelated to me!"'Dale and Olivia just stood there, unsure of how to respond, both of them seemed slightly nervous at the thought of being along with each other, so they just stood there as still as statues as they both tried to think of some small talk to bring up.

Suddenly Olivia thought of the perfect thing, "my big brother is in town."

(-with Alexander-)

Alexander brought his knee straight up and into the face of a man, sending him tumbling backwards into a trash can or two. Alexander stretched out and looked down upon the man. He was a thief that Alexander just so happened to have stumbled upon, unluckily for the thief Alexander needed to blow off some steam. He just couldn't handle the fact that Veri Fresh hadn't told him about Olivia. Combine that with his already steaming attitude towards Rina and the rest and he was in a horrible mood, which he was taking out on the thief, who was barely managing to form complete sentences at this point.

"I'm sorwy," he managed to sputter out in-between spitting up blood. "I'll neber steab agin Pwease tawke it eaby on me." Alexander lifted his foot up and slowly pressed it against the man's head. The man was already badly beaten, but even if it wasn't the weight behind Alexander's foot would still feel like hell. Alexander's entire body was made of iron so the weight of his iron body was al being focused slowly onto the man's head and forcing it down. "I'm sorwey!" the man blurted out again as he spat up another small pool of blood.

Alexander backed off, not for the sake of the thief, but because it appeared he had started to draw attention. A couple of the other vendors had drawn in to see the fight. While such actions weren't exactly rare it still amazed them to see a Marine, the defender of justice, being so rough. However, after seeing Alexander produce a set of handcuffs and clink them onto the poor thief they died down, accepting this as the way things were. Alexander didn't particularly care what they thought of him, he knew what they knew. That they were good Marines and bad Marines…he just didn't care which one he was. He was going to protect this world any way possible. The people had also accepted this in the end good or bad…the Marines were still the good guys. They didn't attack civilians; they only attacked pirates and other villains. So, they could put up with their selfishness and, at times, barbaric attitudes.

Alexander sat down and when he heard loud barking, he turned his head over in its direction. The little dog Hayate was leading the way with Rina following behind him. Alexander shook his head; he looked down at the thief and sighed. He would probably be chewed out again. He didn't care if she thought badly of him, he just didn't want to sit down and listen throughout it all. He yanked the thief onto his feet and shoved him forward, the thief wobbled forward for a second. His feet and legs were sore and bruised, when he had first tried to attempt an escape Alexander had tripped him. Things went downhill from there. Alexander gave him a warning, but almost immediately the thief had turned around and drew a knife on him. The clean silver flashed, if only for an instant, Alexander had quickly put a stop to it. He rotated around and brought his leg forward, like a whip and smashed it sideways into the man's body. The man crumpled to the floor after that, but he had to try and look tough, trying to stand and calling Alexander's kick 'pussy'. Alexander didn't seem too happy about it and returned it with another series of quick 'pussy' punches. Now the thief was unconscious and writhing in pain even as he walked.

"Caught a…person," stated Rina as she looked at the criminal in Alexander's tow. She didn't feel like pointing out that what he did was probably overkill. The man looked like he had been run over by a train not arrested. She wasn't in the mood to get in another fight with him, her cheek still stung from last time. Despite all this she still didn't believe that Alexander was bad. For some reason, she still held him in high regards. She insisted that this was just a 'phase'…if she was wrong then she would be in real trouble. If this wasn't just a phase then it was entirely possible that she would be on the same crew with someone just like the man she despised the most…Kano. She shivered at the thought. She looked up and noticed Alexander was waiting for her to say something. She had come out to get him and now she stood dumbly in front of him, as if expecting him to read her mind.

"Ol-Oivia p-passed out," Rina stuttered out. "She accidently decided to take a bath. She has a Devil Fruit power, you know that, right?" Alexander paused for a second before he nodded slowly as if testing her to see if she knew the truth. "She was made the same way as you were, correct?" Alexander paused and twisted his mouth into an ugly shape. For some reason the way people said 'he was made' made it sound dirty and unnatural…or like it was his fault. Rina could immediately tell that this wasn't really the right way to say it. "I-I'm sorry. I-I mean-" she was cut off by Alexander.

"You meant the way I was made," Alexander 'corrected' her. He knew she said it as she meant it, after all Alexander was 'made'. "Yeah," Alexander continued, returning to the actual conversation. "I know about it. I was first, she was second, and then there were a third and a fourth." Rina perked up, Veri Fresh told her about the third, but the fourth…from the way Veri Fresh worded it the third was Void Furrow's final project…so which genius was in charge of the fourth? She didn't think Alexander would probably know.

"I've been thinking about why we're here, you know," Alexander brought up, shocking Rina out of her daze. "Well more like why both us and Veri Fresh are here. I mean, the Marines can seem sort of over-protective at times, but then…I just put something together." Alexander sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He still didn't feel like he could trust Rina 100% yet, but he needed someone to confirm his own crazy theories. And sadly she was the only person he believed he could tell in confidence. He suppose that gave them a kind of sick relationship that he couldn't trust her and yet he could, but nonetheless he had to get this idea out there and in the open. "I think we are here because we are…" Alexander sighed he couldn't quite find the right words for it, "I think we are also targets of the man hunting down Olivia."

* * *

><p>I feel like some really dramatic music should be playing you know like...dun-dun-DUN! But you can't encode music into fanfictions...shame really. Dale Marrow is the work of Labyrinth-Designer...I really should just make him co-writer...ahem, anyways, I got some news.<p>

First off, I generally use Microsoft Word 2010 to write these stories, but for some reason...I hit a really big snag in the road...no idea how it happened, but long story short I'm using it anymore. Instead I am using LibreOffice for the time being. It shouldn't make any changes, but I feel like it is important to note nonetheless (especially as I've heard some formatting problems have occurred when making the switch. Don't know if that'll actually affect the story or not.)

Second off, is backlog. Its gigantic. I wanted to do something like I have going on with Saga (10 reviews equals a bonus update), but I don't want to just copy and paste the incentive and its also a little unfair to Iron Hammer as its not being updated every other week as is. So if you have any suggestions as to how I should go about this feel free to offer advice in either a review or a PM.


	90. Chapter 90 Permission

**Permission**

"What!" shouted Rina shocked at Alexander's accusations! How could they be? Why would they be? Why were they the target of a mad man? She knew they locked away many villains, but to suddenly be put in the crosshairs of a villain. Then again they was one organization that probably wanted them dead, "Is it…Taka?" Alexander solemnly shook his head. It wasn't Taka, but who else could it be? Why would someone want them dead all the other villains they had taken out didn't seem like they would be well connected to another person. The Sons of Blackbeard were idiots, Satoshi was a lying thieving backstabber, and Seiryu's group was too self-centered to have friends.

"A little while ago after we beat Seth Veri Fresh told me something," Alexander explained. "It had nothing to do with Taka or anyone else. It was one person who killed the fourth human the Marines had decided to create." Rina tried to hold back her shock, but she suppose that explained why Veri Fresh didn't mention the fourth character, after all the dead tell no tales. Why worry about it if it didn't have anything to do with her? "The man who killed her was someone who was scorned by the Marines and the 'Homunculus Project'. He wanted to destroy all of us and he had his sights set on me. I guess I should've immediately put it together that he was also going after Olivia."

"So, we're here where we can be looked after?" concluded Rina with a little bit of a question at the end. Alexander nodded. Rina stuttered out some gibberish as she tried to put the two together, she supposed it did make sense in a way. After all, why would the Marines need an entire Marine Base and Veri Fresh to look after one person, especially if the enemy was also only one person? It seemed to be overkill. But if the killer was after them as well then the two different people needed all the support and watchful eyes that they could get. Rina can't believe she was going to say this, but once more she found it annoyingly amazing what kind of trouble they got into just because of Alexander. If it wasn't for him, they wouldn't be in this mess, but she wasn't going to say that out loud.

"I suppose it is entirely possible he'll come after you as well now," Alexander brought up heaving his shoulders, "I mean you are in on the whole homunculus stuff too now. You know about me as well as Olivia. So I assume it is possible that he'll hunt you down." Rina was once more shocked, I mean she barely knew anything beyond the fact that it happened would that really make her a target? She managed to stammer out a series of 'buts', however, Alexander cut her off before she reached twenty. "It is a killer we are talking about who is stalking us and trying to kill us for no real reason other than how we were created…and not only us but any of the scientists involved are also targets. The killer probably isn't a logical or thoughtful kind of person. I find it safe to say that regardless of who he needs to kill, he'll kill anyone related to this situation." He looked over at Rina, who was drastically slowing down her steps. She was holding Hayate in her arms. She had a pathetic look scrawled across her face as she thought about it.

She didn't like it. Just cause by some stupid luck she was chosen to be on the same crew as Alexander she was forced into this situation where her head was on the line! Why in hell was she chosen in the first place? She had nothing to do with Veri Fresh, Void Furrow, or this homunculus business! Her goal was to take down Kano, nothing else and yet here she was getting swept up into someone else's business! Why didn't they get Reggie? Her father was Veri Fresh's trusted friend, so it made sense if she was recruited! However, Reggie wasn't…she was. She was recruited for some reason or was she just a name Veri Fresh pulled out of the bucket to get involved in this incredibly risky business. She didn't ask to know about this mess, she didn't want to know about it. That's it…she had to know…why her?

They arrived back at the Marine Base fairly quickly, just in time to witness Specter finally becoming capable enough to walk on his own two feet, but he had a large bandage wrapped around his head to prevent the swelling from getting any worse. However, that didn't prevent him from raising a stink, "I'm going to get that purple onion, parrot carrying Rear Admiral if it's the last thing I do. I'm going to make him regret ever crossing my path and stomping on my head! I'll show him a thing or two!" He lifted his Pop Grenade launcher and aimed it towards the ceiling, his intention was obvious. Both Rina and Alexander charged forward, launching both of their bodies at him and tackling him down to the ground. Rina immediately scrambled upwards for the gun while Alexander kept his body pinned to the floor. Rina deftly stole the gun from him and held it out of his reach.

"Do not blow another hole in another Marine building!" shouted Rina. It was actually very upsetting for her, but it was apparent that aside from having a very low success rate on missions, they also left very few islands and Marine bases in one shape. While not all of the incidents could be blamed on Specter, most of them could be blamed on his loose playing with his grenades. She was surprised that they had been stuck with a giant repair bill by now. She felt like if Specter destroyed another on, their luck wouldn't hold out. Especially since this time the reason for Specter's outburst was Veri Fresh and not someone who rightfully deserved it. Although based on what Specter was saying, Veri Fresh did rightfully deserve the thrashing he intended to dole out on him.

Alexander leaned off of Specter, gradually letting the moping gunslinger back onto his feet. Alexander shook his head, a little upset at his own comrades' own childish behavior, but he knew it was to be expected. He decided it was time he saw his other 'hospitalized' friend, Olivia. He patted his legs clear of dirt and glanced at Rina, making sure that she wouldn't be so foolish as to return Specter's weapon to him, yet. Rina nodded at him, telling him she had this and once more Alexander felt like he could trust her to keep their name out of trouble.

He came in on Olivia and Dale sitting around and talking. Olivia was still in bed, with a blanket wrapped around and her and Dale was sitting in the chair next to her. He was gesturing wildly, probably trying to convey a story to her. He stopped talking when Alexander came in. "Excuse me, sir, but we're talking here," he said standing up and walking over to him. "And at the very least you should knock before you enter another person's room, it is just common manners, you know."

"Alex!" shouted Olivia leaping out of her bed, revealing her loose hospital gown to all, ignoring Dale's well-spoken argument. She rushed up to Alexander and wrapped him another hug, leaving Dale alone and feeling like a third wheel. He stayed sitting where he was while he inadvertently listened in on his their conversation. "I'm okay, Alex! Just a little problem with the water. It is nice to see you worried about me, been awhile since my big brother was worried about me!"

Alexander shrugged. "I don't really worry about you," said Alexander as he wriggled out of her grip. "I trust you are capable of handling yourself." Alexander paused as he looked at Dale. "The name is Alexander, Captain Rank" he said, formally introducing himself to the new Marine. However, unlike Rina Alexander didn't notice that Dale was sweating buckets once more. Perhaps at the thought of meeting a Marine higher ranked than him, or maybe another aspect altogether. Maybe it was to make up for the poor handshake he had given Rina, but this time when he went in for the handshake he clasped it tightly putting all of his strength behind it to try and crush Alexander's fingers.

However, Alexander didn't even bat an eye. He stood there with his hands in Dale's vice-like grip and looked back at the young doctor. Dale could feel Alexander's cold hand, but nonetheless he was too nervous to release it. And sadly staring at Alexander's unwavering eyes wasn't really helping him calm down. He didn't know how to react especially when Alexander returned the favor of the heavy handshake. The difference in strength was obvious as Dale's hand was getting slowly getting squished in Alexander's grip.

"He is Dale, Alex!" interfered Olivia, jumping straight into their little competition. "He's one of the best doctors of this Marine Base. "He is a nice guy, I think you two will get along well with each other." She stood there, smiling at the two of them. Alexander let go of Dale's hand and that seemed to trigger a reaction from Dale as he too loosened his hand up and let go of Alexander. "Anyways, it is about dinner time, right? I bet you are starving, right, Alex?" Alexander paused as he did realize that he hadn't eaten anything too substantial since they arrived on this island. He had some tea with Veri Fresh, although he didn't drink a lot of it, because he personally didn't have the taste for tea. He placed his hand on his stomach as if seeing if it had deflated or anything. "I know you are I'll go ahead and get the food ready! Surely with both you and Veri Fresh here they'll make a feast. It is a day to celebrate."

Alexander paused as he watched Olivia quickly scamper off. He turned around and faced Dale again, who was all smiles. Alexander raised an eyebrow to Dale's oddity, but he coughed and returned to his serious face, "So you're her big brother, huh? It is funny, but I get the feeling she'll probably only be out of her shell around you. The girl may be cute, but she's so shy. I guess it is only around you that she'll truly be acting out of her shell. I'll cherish these next few days with her." Once more Alexander raised an eyebrow to his weird shenanigans and words. "…You're…you're disappointed in me, aren't you?" Dale's shoulders slumped and his pessimistic cloud came back overhead.

Alexander snapped his head over to the door, ignoring Dale. "Didn't Olivia just run out of here without her clothes on?" Dale shook his head slowly, how could a girl like her run out of here without her clothes on? She wasn't even naked in the first place. She was wearing…a hospital gown…and she certainly didn't change with them around. Dale's jaw dropped. The Marine Base was at least a thirty minute walk away! Did she plan to run all the way out there dressed in nothing, but a hospital gown! Dale and Alexander both began to run out of the house, but they were stopped as Rina, with a half-naked Olivia in tow came back. With a quick shove and an angry look she shoved them both outside of the room where Olivia could get changed into something more suitable.

Dale and Alexander were both sitting outside of the room on opposite sides of the door. "That reminds me actually," said Dale as he stood up and turned to Alexander. "You are Olivia's big brother, right?" Alexander diverted his eyes, once more it was a technicality, but in all honesty they spent more time apart then together. The only reason why Olivia felt so clingy to Alexander was because of the fact that they were born at similar times in the same situations. And the only other person besides Alexander who were there to comfort her were scientists who were more interested in her body than her. Nonetheless, Alexander supposed the correct answer to Dale's question was 'yes'. "Good. Then…then….then I want your permission to go out with Olivia!"

* * *

><p>Due to gigantic backlog (now 35 chapters and the fact that five of them came from this weekend alone) here's a bonus update. I decided I will do the same thing as with Saga (ten reviews on this story will make me post a new chapter for this story). Same number even despite the fact that at one point in time this story was averaging ten reviews per chapter and I actually got like six reviews with the last chapter (so you guys will actually be making out with EXTRA reviews to go towards the following count). Please note, however, I will not post like seven (I think even four is pushing it) chapters a week.<p> 


	91. Chapter 91 This Begins the Hunt

**And Thus Begins the Hunt**

"So, what are we doing out here on the training ground?" asked Alexander as he looked around at the nicely kept grounds. Compared to the other Marine Bases Alexander had missions at this was the nicest. The grounds were fairly clean and there were numerous trees lining the ring for a nice environmental effect. However, the walls that were a little further off had torches attached to them to illuminate the field. There was even a small pond down the ways for people to meditate at if they didn't want to fight. This was definitely one of the nicer Marine Bases Alexander have ever gone to. He had to wonder who was the person in charge and why did he get such nice treatment.

"We're going to fight," replied Dale. The sun was getting ready to set, so they didn't have too much time before the people would come out to light the torches. In other words this would have to be a quick bout if they wanted to keep it a secret. "I told you, I want your permission to ask Olivia out on a date. It is good manners to ask someone's family for their permission, right? But who knows when I'll ever meet Olivia's parents. So I'll have to make do with you." Dale took up a fighting stance to show that he was serious. Alexander smirked. He had to admit the guy caught his interest. Perhaps, this will be fun and a good way to relieve his pent-up stress.

"Fine," said Alexander as he took up his own fighting stance. It was similar to that of Muay Thai. Both hands ready to punch with one leg in the air, prepared to kick. The similarities weren't coincidental. Alexander's teacher studied multiple fighting stances and next to his own unique fighting stance, this was his favorite. So, Alexander supposed taking this stance was because of that. His teacher was the strongest man he knew so perhaps emulating him was the closest way to become stronger. A loud noise was the sign to initiate their fight.

Dale started to dive in, but Alexander met him halfway. Alexander planted one foot and brought the other careening towards him as fast as possible.

(-With Reggie-)

Reggie was stomping her way through town. She was in an obviously foul mood. She didn't feel like being cheerful now. Not when she learned that her crew had been keeping secrets from her, especially now when it seemed imperative to the mission. It seemed like they were just keeping secrets from her for no good reason. The next question would be why Rina and Alexander knew about it, but she didn't. What made them so special? It didn't make any sense to her it felt like things were purposefully trying to drive a wedge in their crew. And now it was separating her from it. She shook her head and continued on forward. She'd just need a walk to clear her head and then she'd be fine.

"Ku ku ku ku!" laughed a voice. Reggie spun around, trying to determine the location of the voice, but she saw nothing. It was getting dark out, so she suspected that was to be expected. Besides after the stressful day she had it was entirely possibly she was just imagining it. She shrugged and ignored it. Just her own wild imagination having its way with her. She trudged out, but before she had taken even five steps the laugher boomed once more. With that she swiftly turned around and head back to the Marine Base, perhaps it would be best for her to go take a nap or something rather than a walk.

The laughter came once more, but this time a man came out of the shadows with it. The man was tall and had darkened skin, that appeared almost black due to the lack of light. His eyes were a dark, dark brown, almost black in color and it was hard to make it out against the shadows of the night. He had several scratch marks on his body, but bulging muscles that were a clear indication of his strength. He had a neat array of clean white teeth in his mouth that was producing the terrifying laughter. His shirt was the same as his teeth, clean and white. Darkened camouflage pants covered his legs as he strode slowly towards Reggie. "Good evening, miss…uh, Marine." He said as he took another step for her.

Reggie instinctively took a step back further from the Marine Base and any capable ally. "Uh, it is Reggie." She wasn't quite sure what to do to him after all, he hadn't broken any laws, but she still didn't like the aura that he had around him. It felt twisted. However, once more how the 'aura' of a guy felt wasn't quite grounds for arrest. If it was then she was sure Veri Fresh would've gotten arrested several times, this guy could've been a Marine and judging from his military-type pants and his black hair, which was styled into a buzz cut, it was a possibility. "I'm going to have to ask you to identify yourself," stated Reggie with a clear authoritarian tone while tightly gripping the pistol that she held behind her back.

"Reggie, Reg-gie, Reggie," repeated the man, ignoring Reggie's last statement and instead choosing to test her name and see how it felt on his lips. "So, you are one of the Marines that got picked to join Alexander. Color me impressed, I didn't really expect someone like you join him. I always thought he would favor someone a little more…I don't know, good-looking." The man stepped back and examined Reggie from afar.

Reggie felt a little insulted by the man's blatant insult, but she knew she wasn't a beauty queen and she never touched make-up or the like, so she just sucked in her pride and continued the conversation hoping it would soon make a pleasant turn. "You mentioned Alexander. Are you a childhood friend of his or something?" Whatever he was, it made Reggie relax a little that this man knew him. It probably meant he was a Marine, which only further proved Reggie's idea of not attacking him outright. She loosened her grip on the pistol she was holding as she looked at him. She soon found out how wrong she was to do so.

The man flung himself at her with the speed and precision of a true warrior. He brought one hand up to her neck and strangled it; the other hand tightly gripped the arm holding the gun. He brought her down to the ground and quickly pushed her into the dirt. She felt the cold metal of the man's hands…he was wearing some sort of gauntlets, but Reggie couldn't move her head enough to clearly make them out. His voice crept across her skin as he slid one knee up to keep her other arm pinned to the ground. "I'm like a brother to him. We grew up together, we fought together, and we trained together. I admired him greatly growing up. He was a fast learner, better than me in several ways when it came to the Marines. You see I had a problem…I always killed the people I touched. Alexander knew some restraint and would stop way before he got to that point, but I lacked that sort of switch. I had thirteen separate training partners, aside from Alexander. I killed six of them and seven of them people had to pry me off of. You see, it is not victory unless it is complete victory. I want to see to that…my complete victory." He loosened his grip and Reggie quickly came back to life gasping for air, she was just barely on the verge of falling unconscious. She gasped for a few more seconds before the man quickly tightened his grip around her neck again.

"I've gotten better at it see," he laughed for a few seconds before loosening his grip and allowing Reggie to take another few breathes. "I can do this all day. Nearly kill you, then wait for you to come back to life, right before…" he quickly tightened his grip on Reggie's neck again. "Nearly killing you again. I said I admired Alexander, right? Well, you see he never returned the favor. I don't think he liked me very much, he was always watching me, ready to interfere with my fights in a moment's notice like he didn't trust me. All seven of those people that they pried me away from owe their lives to Alexander, he was the main person who managed to stop me each time. He didn't trust me, he didn't like me, and yet I looked up at him. Can you imagine my aggravation? I felt like killing him! And I'm going to, too. That's why I'm here." He let Reggie come back to life for another few seconds. "However, death doesn't seem to be enough to let my anger out. Killing him seems like such quick work while I lived my last three years in this pain…I'll make sure he faces the worst pain ever.

"Your death…Olivia's death…the death of the other two he came here with," he whispered as he hunched over near Reggie's ear. "You see I originally planned on killing everyone who was involved in making him, but that was only because he never had anyone he trusted or even liked. The person he was closest with was Olivia, Veri Fresh, and then probably me. It is sad when your third favorite person in the world is someone you hate and someone who hates you back. I feel so sorry for Alexander…I suppose I feel a little sorry for you too. You don't even know anything about him, you don't know his secret, and yet you are still going to die for him. Well, I suppose there's no reason not to tell, not to let you burn up with hatred over Alexander as well...let you feel the pain I've felt knowing that he distrusted me. He never trusted you with his ultimate secret, so I guess me and you are in a similar boat. So I'll help you out. I'll tell you his secret…as well as my secret and Olivia's as well." The man bent down and lowered himself right next to Reggie's ear.

"We're not human."

(-With Alexander-)

Alexander stood above Dale's body and waited patiently for him to get back up. He supposed it was entirely possibly he put a little bit too much force behind his kick, especially against an ally. The poor guy was laid out on floor, gripping his side. Maybe the guy just wasn't made for combat; Alexander supposed he should've thought of that possibility first before trying to mow him down with a side kick. Then again the guy did sort of ask for it. Nonetheless if Alexander went and saw Rina or Veri Fresh with an ally who possibly had a broken rib, it was possible (if not probable) that he'd get chewed out. So, Alexander just sat down next to him and waited for Dale to talk again.

"You're disappointed in me, aren't you?" asked Dale as he writhed in pain again. Alexander looked over at his fallen friend and shrugged. He wasn't disappointed, if anything he wasn't interested enough to be disappointed in the first place. "I challenge you to a fight for the rights to ask your little sister out on a date and you knock me out almost immediately. I must seem like a laughing stock." Dale cringed once more as he rolled onto his back and stared up at the darkening sky. "Truth be told I didn't think I'd be able to take you on. I knew you were going to beat me, but I figured…I figured if it was for Olivia I'd be able to withstand it. I thought I'd be able to withstand anything. I thought…I thought I wouldn't be such a loser."

Alexander sighed and shook his head. It was his personal opinion that he shouldn't have any say in who Olivia dated, but the more and more he listened to this guy the more he didn't like him. What he did could've been considered romantic to some people, but Alexander had absolutely no idea of romance; the only thing he saw was a man who wouldn't be able to beat his way out of a paper bag. And not because he was weak, but because he had absolutely no confidence, he would give up the instant he was trapped. Why did a man like him get chosen to be a Marine? He was a coward.

* * *

><p>And the butt-whoopin' is now over. Man, trouble is abound for everyone, isn't it? Well, except for Rina who seems to be getting off fairly light (what with Reggie being attacked, Specter getting beat up by Veri Fresh, Olivia being knocked out, Dale being beaten up and Alexander being hunted) Rina got lucky! (Oh, well, I'll fix that soon MWA HA HA HA HA!)<p>

Oh, yes, DUN DUN DUN DUN! The main villain has made his appearance. I have to apologize to Labyrinth-Designer (his creator) as I took liberties with him through out this entire arc making him mentally unstable and admittedly a little bit closer to the villains I usually write. (Yeah, I suppose I have a 'type' when it comes to villains.)


	92. Chapter 92 The Hunt Continues

**Continuing the Hunt**

It was finally time for dinner. The seating arrangement was pretty awkward as the tension was running high in the group. It went Rina and Olivia on one side with an empty seat where Reggie was supposed to sit and Specter, Dale, and Alexander on the other with Veri Fresh sitting at the head of the table as far away from Specter as possible. Alexander was uncomfortable as he was seated in-between a man who he just beat-up and the purple onion, across from him was the empty chair of one of his teammates, which only managed to worry him more. Dale was even more unfortunate next to him was the man who beat him up and a sociopath currently writing down plans of revenge on his napkin. Across the table from him was Olivia, which didn't necessarily help calm him down. Olivia was completely oblivious to this tension and was busying herself talking to Rina, who had, in record time, become her trusted confidant.

The small talk of an ordinary office circulated even within the Marines. The topics of weather, sports, and everyday news arose from the table in an attempt to make delightful chit-chat to cut through the tension. However, every attempt was cut down at the knees as someone amongst the Marines. No one was quite in the mood to discuss the sunny weather they've had lately. They've been doing nothing, but destroying all of Veri Fresh's well-intentioned attempts with their own negativity. Finally Alexander decided to cut in with a very necessary question, "where is Reggie?"

All eyes turned to the empty chair. They shrugged their shoulders, but they didn't offer up any answers. Of course, only Veri Fresh and Rina knew about it. After a few seconds Veri Fresh cleared his throat and decided to answer the question, "She had a little problem earlier today, but she decided to leave for a brief second to clear her head. I'm sure she's off doing whatever she does to calm down. She just needs a few hours by herself." Of course, Veri Fresh was certain it had been about two hours since Reggie had disappeared, but he supposed it didn't matter all that much she'd show up eventually. After all, she was still a part of their crew. She had two options either come back to the crew or come back to Veri Fresh to demand a transfer. She would come back eventually.

"Nonetheless," said Alexander as he excused himself from the table, thankful to finally have an excuse to leave and go about doing more important and more Marine-like things, "I'm going to go look for her." He quickly scarfed down another small slice of meat and went on his way, no use investigating on an empty stomach.

Rina also stood up almost immediately after Alexander. She was also feeling a bit uneasy about Reggie's absence, but didn't want to be the one who brought it up. After all it was partially her fault so she felt responsible for it. She didn't want Reggie to get into any sort of trouble especially since it would be because of her. "I'll go too." Alexander paused and looked back at her. It was obvious he didn't want the company, especially from the girl who successfully managed to temporarily kick him out of his own group. "It'll go quicker with two people." Once more not exactly a concern of Alexander, he didn't particularly want things to go quickly, just so he could return here.

"I agree with Rina," joined in Veri Fresh as he too stood up and walked over to Alexander. "However, it is my turn to patrol the island now anyways. So, I'll go examine the island and you guys can take of this lovely meal!" Veri Fresh quickly shoved Alexander back over to the table. Alexander nearly tripped and stumbled on top of the dinner table, but Dale caught him and brought him back up right. "Besides," continued Veri Fresh, under his breath so the rest of his company didn't hear him, "I'm afraid if she is truly in trouble I may be the only one capable of saving her." He knew very well that it was entirely possible for Reggie to get kidnapped after all with the way things were going. If someone was truly aiming for Olivia's and Alexander's heads it was possible the rest of his crew would get caught up in it. It would be best if he could handle the situation without involving anyone.

Alexander moaned and groaned for a little while as he sat down. He supposed it was a bit better now that the onion was gone, but still…the tension still hadn't let up, if anything it had gotten worse due to Reggie's absence being brought up. Now everyone was busy being distracted by the thoughts of their missing crew member. The life of a Marine was a perilous one, especially when you are being targeted by someone. Even Olivia seemed to have lost her bright edge in this situation. Although all of this was to be expected.

Rina shifted uncomfortably in her seat before quietly excusing herself. Olivia soon followed. Meanwhile the guys sat there and tried to calm down. However, after awhile it proved that sitting down did very little to help Specter. "That's it! I'm going off to get my revenge on Veri Fresh! He thinks he can make a fool out of me, huh? I'll make mince meat out of him!" Alexander and Dale both stood up and were about ready to grab him, but Specter quickly pulled a little ball out of his coat. He immediately threw down to the ground and let it explode. An immediate cloud of pepper and salt and any other small spices covered the air blinding his allies. He wasn't just sitting at the table doing nothing important he was planning a strategic getaway. His napkin made the container, soaking it in a bit of his drink made it weak enough where contact with a solid object would pierce it and let his smokescreen get out. With that done perfectly, his smokescreen now filled the air and allowed Specter to escape. However, his evil laughter still hung in the air.

"Crap!" coughed out Alexander as he waved his arms, emerging from the dark cloud of spice. "I can't believe that man!"He ground his heels into the floor, thought about charging out after him, but decided it was too much effort. A man like Specter wouldn't go down without a fight, worst case scenario Specter would probably shoot a grenade at him…actually ONE grenade was probably the best case scenario with that maniac. He settled back into his seat at the table and was about to resume eating when he noticed all of the food had been covered by a thick layer of spices. Even his chocolate milk seemed tainted. Alexander groaned and decided to start cleaning up; piling the dirty and tainted dishes one on top of the other. He looked over and noticed Dale helping out as well. Probably just an attempt to butter him up, for some reason he really did believe that Alexander had some kind of influence over who Olivia dated.

Finally Dale spoke up and asked Alexander the question that he had been dreading, "Can you teach me how to get girls to like me?"

(-With Specter-)

Specter charged through the eerie night with his gun at his side. He suspected that Veri Fresh hadn't gone very far, but nonetheless he found it surprisingly had to find him. Veri Fresh had only departed moments before him and yet for some reason Specter couldn't find him. Specter paused as he looked around him and tried to find the purple hair bobbing in the dark night, but he couldn't find anything. Specter twisted his mouth into a frown. Talk about a wasted effort. He looked to his left and right and then stared at the path straight in front of him. He would like to be able to say he could guess where Veri Fresh was, but the fact was he could've gone in any direction in search of Reggie. However, deep down, or not very far down at all, Specter was a gambling man. He picked a direction at random, relying on his gambler's luck to find his prey.

Specter swerved left and barreled down the path. If only for a few seconds. Almost immediately Specter hit a snag, quite literally as his foot got caught on something and he was sent falling forward to the ground. Specter groaned about something and sat up, blaming Veri Fresh for his luck. However, try as he might he couldn't fully blame Veri Fresh for what happened next. A cold arm clasped around Specter's neck and wrenched him back, another arm wrapped around the first and crow barred it back. Specter felt the air rush out of his mouth as he struggled to free himself.

"You people are so easy to catch, I'm almost bored with it!" laughed the man who was holding Specter back, before quickly dragging them both into a dark alleyway and out of the prying eyes of the public. Even this man didn't want to be watched by the government, he knew better then to alert the Marines, his plans weren't finished yet. "I'm starting to think you agree with me that the Marines and Alexander need to be punished and as a result you are jumping into my arms! …ha, if only that were true, but I know you are all base and luckless creatures that you are all acting this due to your own base desires that just so happen to coincide with mine, I am truly the lucky one."

Specter wasn't going down without a fight, though. He swung his leg back behind him and made contact with the other person's leg. The leg was solid and close to Alexander's solidity, but there was definitely something different. It seemed slender unlike Alexander' leg which was more akin to a wall. Although Specter was thankful for the difference, it was entirely possible that that was the only reason his grip loosened up. With that Specter spun away and quickly broke away. He rotated around and took aim at his opponent, he lifted his launcher around and took aim. The small grenade shot forward, but it quickly proved to be a futile effort.

"**Damascus Kick!" **shouted the opponent. He brought his leg up and quickly back down, slicing straight through the ball. Specter remembered that attack from Alexander's repertoire, however, this one was definitely different. Alexander's strength was something else and it would've been enough to uproot a tree, this one was more focused. It was brought down to the finest point, a keen edge. One that had completely negated Specter's shot. Specter loaded another shot and fired it, this time his target was the ground beneath his feet. The man laughed as he strode forward, covering a lot of ground in very little time. Alexander may have been slightly stronger than this guy, but he was definitely faster than Alexander. He was right up against Specter a small trail of smoke flowing behind him. "**Iron Claws!" **the flowing smoke immediately grew back around his gauntlets and shot forward forming three sharp blades on each heavy fist. He whipped it around and brought the blades slashing through Specter's coat and drawing blood.

Specter stumbled back. He turned towards the Marine Base about to utter a cry for help, but the man was really on top of things. The same smoke that was trailing behind him and he had used to cut Specter open, turned around on Specter. It whipped around his body and his head, closing off his mouth. "Just sleep," whispered the man as he forced Specter to the ground as well. He smiled to himself as he straightened his back out, watching Specter slowly lose consciousness. "Honestly, I thought Alexander would pick some tougher allies."

* * *

><p>Just going through the reviews and checking out the OCs, its funny seeing the difference between this and Saga...seriously speaking I got like eleven snipers for this story and like three for Saga (and the reverse is true for swordsmen). Also a lot more females are submitted for Iron Hammer, weird, huh? Anyways, now Specter's been captured can things get any worse (the answer is yes, stay tuned to find out).<p> 


	93. Chapter 93 Zero Left

**Zero Left**

"Alex!" shouted Olivia as she leapt back up and wrapped her arms around her big brother. She hadn't seen him as much as she would've liked to. It seemed like other things kept coming up for the both of them and they didn't get to chat like she had promised. She wondered for a brief second if Alexander was angry with her. She didn't think he would be, but he seemed to be in a foul mood of sorts lately. He seemed to be permanently crossed with someone. However, that didn't seem to apply to Olivia at the moment. Upon bumping into her he seemed to soften slightly and was actually eager to see her once more.

"Are you going somewhere?" asked Alexander, it was fairly obvious that she was. She wasn't exactly walking when she bumped into him. Olivia paused for a second after bumping into Alexander her determination had wavered. She looked down the hall and past him, Dale was with Alexander when Rina and Olivia had left, but it seems like they had gone their separate ways now. It was probably for the better, Olivia didn't want to confess her love to someone in front of her older brother.

"I was coming to see you!" she said giving off the same bright and radiant aura as always, despite the fact that she was lying. She was genuinely happy to see him all the same though and was ready to go off and have the talk about how their lives have been since they last saw each other. Surely Alexander's tale would be a little bit more dramatic. He had joined the sea high and low, he met Rina, Specter, and Reggie all the while defeating vicious pirates. Olivia couldn't help but sigh as she wished she was more like her big brother. He was a real asset to the Marines and he would only become greater. She had, of course, heard of his track record with his missions. Alexander and his crew had become a real laughing stock as of late because of it, but…the more and more the rumors started to circulate the more and more the other Marines realized they could not have done half of what they did. An international assassination ring was constantly at their heels and despite this they took out a group of bandits that almost conquered an entire island, two pirates that had efficiently turned the entire Marine Base on them, as well as four pirates straight from the Grand Line. Truth be told their track record with completed missions were horrible, but on those missions they had accomplished feats greater than the mission itself.

Alexander and Olivia decided to head off. They did need to catch up, even Alexander knew that. They were together for awhile only to be pulled apart at a later date, the fact that they had been reunited was definitely something important. The fact that a dangerous lunatic was on the prowl was something that they could ignore for the time being. They would just hang out for old times' sake.

(-With Rina-)

Rina had gone over to the dorms, but upon knocking on Alexander's door nobody answered. She guessed she did kind of assume Alexander would be here. However, where else would he be? It's not like Alexander had anybody else to talk to besides the crew and Olivia and she was with Olivia. Maybe Veri Fresh or Dale knew of his location, but she didn't know where the first was and latter was busy with Olivia. She sighed. She guessed she'd just go to the spa again to relax. It was only a short jaunt from the Marine Base plus a lot of Marines traveled in between them. She'd be safe. She was sure of it.

She went down there and despite her talking herself up, she still felt uncertain. But nonetheless she trusted her luck and her own instincts. She smiled and quickly headed out. The fresh air was certainly relaxing. She certainly had a lot of tension built up in her body. After all she had been put through plenty of ordeals, she was sure a long soak in the hot tub and a nice backrub was just what she needed to feel good again. She smiled and set off, whistling a happy tune as she showed her ID to the gate guard and walked out the front door of the Marine Base. It was a pleasant evening. The sun was still in the air, but it was slowly dropping to the ground. The sunrise would be beautiful to watch. Maybe she'd make some time for it when she got done.

If that time ever came, sensing danger she immediately threw herself back just barely in time to dodge an evil iron whip. However, even with her reacting to it, the sharp whip still found its way into her leg. The whip had several sharp barbs that jutted from the whip, the man in control of it stepped out of the shadows and immediately called the iron whip back to him where it returned to its original resting place, a small dial that rested in one of his bulky gauntlets. "Congratulations, Chiran Mitsukomi Rina, you're the first one to dodge my attacks."

"Are you a pirate?" asked Rina immediately taking up an offensive stance. The man cocked his head back and smiled, revealing teeth so white they gleamed in the darkness around them. Rina supposed it was a fairly stupid question to ask. He did just try to kill her. Pirate or not that warranted excessive force in handling the matter. Rina crouched down and rushed forward, sending herself catapulting for the man. Her fist struck out, but the man's heavy gauntlet easily caught and negated the force.

"Ka ha ha ha ha ha!" he bellowed as he looked down at Rina. He tightened his grip, causing the gauntlet to crush poor Rina's hand. His body suddenly transformed, he had dark skin before, but now it was black. Ebony black. His legs shrunk in width, becoming sharper and more dangerous. His arms did the same, finally from what Rina could see in her current location the small upside wings he had on his back became sharp, thin and pitch black. The man leaned forward, placing his entire weight down, bearing it all down on top of Rina. "got any last words?"

"Hel-help me…ALEXAND-" Rina's voice was instantly cut off as the man jammed his leg upwards and into her gut. Rina's eyes went wide as her face went pale. Her entire body was then thrown to the side and onto the ground. The man got down, pinning her to the ground with one knee. Rina tried to open her mouth and scream again, but couldn't as the man jammed his fist down and covered her mouth, keeping her from screaming once again. He raised one finger up to his lips and quietly shushed her.

"Come on, young one, you don't want to ruin Alex's big surprise do you?" he laughed. "It is about time for a family reunion! I don't want to spoil his surprise when he sees I invited all of his closest friends." The man kicked his head back and let loose another menacing laugh as he lifted Rina up by her hair, causing her to scream briefly before he launched another kick straight into her gut. He drew blood with that kick, a quick dribble of blood leaked out of her chest as she gasped out in pain. "Ke ha ha ha ha ha!" laughed the man stepping forward as he begun to drag her across the ground.

Suddenly he was met with some resistance. Rina buried her feet into the ground, supporting herself as she suddenly pumped her legs forward. She threw her entire bodyweight at the man, ignoring the pain in her head as he pulled at every one of her tendrils. Rina pushed herself forward and struck out. Her fist rang like a gong as it came into contact with his metal body. His body bent, but only a little. Rina quickly rotated around and brought her other fist forward for his head. The man brought his left hand in and blocked the attack with ease.

"Hey, I guess Alexander's crew isn't composed of complete weaklings," the man bellowed once more. He bent down and lifted Rina off of her feet, so they would be face-to-face. "The name's Kaos. I knew Alexander all the way back in the day and here I thought he's surrounded himself with weaklings. But I actually felt your punch. I guess he's got one halfway decent person on his crew. Your name was Rina, right?" Rina cowered backwards for a brief second, before Kaso wrapped his arm around and brought her body right up against his. "Maybe you should leave Alexander's crew and join mine. I hate it when I don't get what I want. And you don't want me to hate you, do yo-AHHH!" shouted Kaos jumping back and stretching out his leg. Hayate, Rina's own trustworthy dog, had decided that Kaos was his opponent and latched onto his leg, biting down as hard as he could. "Get off of me you damn mutt!" Kaos flicked his leg and dislodged the dog from his leg. Kaos kept a solid grip on Rina and dragged her over to where Hayate laid. "Damn dog!" Kaos lifted his leg up and then right back down onto Hayate's small body, again and again continuously for a few second until blood started to stain the poor dog's fur.

"Ha-ha-hayate?" Rina's voice quivered as she looked down at the dog, bleeding in front of her. "Hayate!" she shouted as she picked up the little dog into her arms, tears began rolling down her face. She turned to face Kaos for a second, but the instant she did so Kaos struck her cheek, sending her sprawling to the ground and she accidentally flung Hayate out of her arms and onto the ground. She looked up and tried to crawl over to her fallen canine companion, but Kaos jammed his foot down onto her back. Rina groaned for a brief instant, but she quickly bit her lip and tried to crawl a little closer to Hayate, which only caused for Kaos to apply even more pressure to her back.

"Come on," Kaos said, bending down and bringing his two cold metal hands against her neck as he began to wring the life out of her. "We got to get ready for Alexander. We can't spend any more time here taking care of that stupid dog." Rina shuddered for a second, she was starting to lose air. She couldn't stay awake much longer. She was going to pass out, her last view was of Kaos' smug smiling mug.

"Al-Alex-Alexander…" gasped Rina as her head fell those last few inches to the ground. Her head hit the ground with what could only be called a sickening thud, her short hair falling all around her head, hiding her face from view. Kaos wetted his lips as he looked down at his most recent prey. Another person has fallen to his clearly superior abilities. Kaos looked over at the Marine Base. The large building gleamed with its own form of superiority. The prestigious white walls stood out against the dark background of the night. The building was without a doubt the biggest one on the island. It devoured the apartment complexes, the malls, anything around it was swallowed up by its own imposing grandeur. However, it didn't discourage Kaos. He looked at the tall building, its many guard towers surrounding it…and he laughed. He turned his back to it, flashed it a carefree look along with a middle finger. Soon it would be crumbled beneath his feet. The thing that had created him and then so carelessly tossed him away along with the ones created before him. He would destroy them both and then his goal would be complete!

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><p>DANG IT! I JUST WROTE THIS ALL OUT AND THEN IT GOT DELETED! The Zero Left is the number of people left on Alexander's crew seeing as how Reggie, Specter, and Rina were all kidnapped. And now there's just Alexander left...<p>

This is not a bonus update. This is just an early release of what should've been going up on Sunday. But my weekends got screwy, so here ya are!


	94. Chapter 94 Getting Serious

**Getting Serious**

A poor wounded Hayate managed to walk back to the Marine Base's door. He was walking uneasily up to that point. He slammed sideways and into the door. He let out a weak bark, but nobody could hear it, not even the main gate guard who sat a few feet away, a small book in his hand as he scoured the pages, apparently studying something. Every so often he lifted his nose from the pages and looked around, intent on keeping up at least a halfway decent guard, but Hayate was too small for him to find just through a casual gaze. If Hayate had enough energy to jump, he would without a doubt catch the guard's attention, but sadly he was too tired. Hayate teetered to the side again, almost ready to collapse. He was leaning on the door and he managed to choke out another bark or two.

"Pay attention you dolt!" shouted Veri Fresh as his hand stretched through the gate's booth, despite a thick layer of glass separating them, and grabbed the guard by the collar. He pulled him forward and onto the ground outside of the gate, putting him on eye level with poor Hayate. Hayate barked quietly once more and the man shot up, a scared look in his eye. The dog was one thing, but apparently he had put himself onto bad terms with Veri Fresh. He muttered some incoherent apology, but Veri Fresh only snapped him, "OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" Apparently Veri Fresh's good mood had completely dissolved. The guard nodded so and quickly clamored back into the booth, activating the mechanism and letting the door open. Veri Fresh muttered something beneath his breath, it sounded like 'idiot' to the guard, but the guard was in no position, or rank, to complain. He swallowed loudly, hoping that he managed to keep his job…and hide.

Veri Fresh wandered in and looked back as Hayate tried to slowly crawl up to him. He was obviously tired and in no shape for any exercise. Hayate wandered forward, slightly stumbling over his own feet. Finally an ill-placed rock sent him flying forward and to Veri Fresh's feet. Hayate growled softly, trying to return himself to his own two feet. "What's the matter, boy?" asked Veri Fresh, crouching down to Hayate's side. Veri Fresh was an animal lover at heart, he had his own parrot after all. The parrot wasn't around at all today or yesterday, actually. It was interesting mystery, but Veri Fresh didn't seem bothered by it all. Hayate, however, didn't seem in the mood to talk with Veri Fresh and instead lumbered in further into the Marine Base, taking patient sniffs of the air as he tried to located Alexander.

While everyone here understood that Veri Fresh was of a higher rank and thus it was reasonable to incline that Veri Fresh was of a higher physical prowess than Alexander, Hayate didn't know that. He only knew what he had witnessed firsthand or smelled off of a man and the man behind him who smelled of flowers didn't strike fear into Hayate's heart. Suddenly Hayate was scooped up into Veri Fresh's arm. "Just tell me which way to go and I'll deliver you!" shouted Veri Fresh giving the dog a confiding smile, whatever had put Veri Fresh in a bad mood had apparently dissolved. Hayate barked, this time a little more enthusiastically. Veri Fresh immediately headed out forward; in the direction Hayate had directed him.

He soon found himself outside of the mess hall, where Alexander and Olivia were enjoyed a quick desert. Alexander was, of course, footing the bill despite his small salary, although due to his higher rank he was still making more than Olivia. Veri Fresh walked in and cleared his throat. It was a testament to how hard he was working that Alexander immediately flung himself forward and took up a fighting stance without even a second thought. Alexander paused as he looked at Veri Fresh immediately dropping his guard and down a short bow. He had no idea why he did so. Veri Fresh wasn't a man who cared for or, in his opinion, deserved such formalities. With Alexander's head bowed down he had a perfectly good view of the ground, Veri Fresh's pants, and a small pooling of blood around it. Alexander's head snapped up to meet with Veri Fresh, worried that his 'boss' might have been wounded badly. He instead saw poor little Hayate in Veri Fresh's arms and that the blood was coming from him.

"Hayate!" Alexander shouted, scooping up the wounded warrior dog from Veri Fresh's arms. Alexander's words as well as his tone, made Olivia bolt up from her seat and rush up to them both and checking upon the poor dog herself. She placed a hand on the dog's chest and felt its ragged rise and its painful fall. Alexander took Hayate out of his arms and placed him into Olivia's. He turned around and faced Veri Fresh, "what happened?" he asked. His voice was incredibly solemn as he knew if Hayate was like this and since Rina was nowhere to be found, something had happened to her.

Veri Fresh paused for a moment. He was unsure of how to tell Alexander, mainly because he himself was pretty much clueless. He had no idea he just found Hayate out by the gates, but Veri Fresh was fairly certain everything was evident from that. The fact that Rina wasn't around to nurse his wounds told more than enough to Veri Fresh. "I can't imagine it is anything other than what it looks like," patiently explained Veri Fresh. Alexander nodded slowly, understanding what Veri Fresh had said. He quickly swiveled around and began to walk out into the darkness of the night. "Where are you going?" shouted Veri Fresh rushing up to Alexander, "we don't even know where Rina could be? Or for that matter where the person who did this to her and Hayate is!"

If anything Alexander had paused in the doorway, offered Veri Fresh a look back before turning his attention back to the hallowed night. "I don't care," he muttered. Veri Fresh shook his head, he couldn't believe how reckless the kid was being in his actions, but nonetheless Veri Fresh shrugged. He had known Alexander ever since he was first created if there was one thing Alexander had more of than anyone else it was determination. He recalled that the Marine initially didn't like him cause they didn't believe he was charismatic enough to lead the Marines, that he would say the wrong thing, however, as Veri Fresh looked at his back as the young man headed off into the darkness in order to save his nakama, Veri Fresh could think of him as nothing less than a leader. Veri Fresh smiled at his determination, but he had to shake his head at his foolishness.

"Olivia take Hayate to Dale," he ordered, "surely some medicine that he knows will help Hayate out. I'm going to provide support for Alexander." Veri Fresh charged out of the door, taking in the renewed feeling of being a Marine. He hadn't felt any exhilaration behind his desk since he became a Rear Admiral it felt good to be back out in the field. He was responsible for Alexander and his crew, he felt like captain once more. Newly dipping his feet into the waters of the world against an unknown foe. The excitement had reared up on him and taken him by surprise, but nonetheless he charged out to meet it, a slight skip to his step.

Olivia stood there her mind blank and her face equally clueless, holding Hayate. She barely even knew the dog and yet her big brother went off charging some unknown villain and she was left here? She sighed as she looked down at the poor defenseless puppy in her arms. She recalled her own evaluation. Alexander was said not to be kind or considerate to be a leader and she was said not to be as active or powerful to be a leader. She wouldn't take initiative, even now as her brother charged off into the heat of battle she was standing here, her legs nearly frozen. She let out a quivering breath for just a second as she tried to steel her resolve. Moments ago she had a resolve to ask Dale out, but now she had a new one. She wanted to prove herself. She was a Marine! She was made a Marine and almost instantly they threw her aside! She wouldn't let them do that! She'd prove herself here and now! Her head swiveled around, quickly finding another Marine, she shoved Hayate into their arms, "take him to Dale's now! It is an order straight from Veri Fresh!" The Marine looked at her questioningly, but soon realized now wasn't the time to debate about it and took off. Olivia smiled and charged off after the small brigand.

She trailed slightly behind them because of them time it took her to decide to go, but nonetheless she was still an artificial human like Alexander, she had been put through her paces like him, she wasn't slow. Despite this she soon found herself losing sight of even the small dots she had identified as Alexander and Veri Fresh. Initially she was faster than Alexander and she should still be if not barely, but Alexander's lack of reserve made him pump faster, straining his body to the maximum. He was pushing himself hard in order to find Rina at some unknown location faster. It was reckless and Olivia couldn't bring herself to punish her body in such a way. She was soon left behind, feeling helpless once more. She had wanted to prove herself to the Marines and Alexander as well as herself. But this had only reaffirmed her fate…she just wasn't cut out to be a Marine. She slumped down, collapsing into a small pile on the floor. She was weak, she fought back tears as the thought was seared into her brain. She couldn't be like them. She was supposed to be built the same way as Alexander, she was supposed to be an improvement…and yet here she was in a puddle of her own tears, biting back her urge to wail.

Suddenly a metal gauntlet snapped back against her mouth, immediately nullifying her urge. He tossed her down and onto the ground. Kaos had struck again. Olivia panicked. Suddenly a large metal whip came snaking out of her and smashed itself into Kaos' head forcing him to let go of her. Kaos stumbled back for a few seconds, a new sweltering bruise started to appear on the side of his forehead. He grumbled and shook his head, apparently the panicky attack had a greater effect on him than he thought. "This is your hybrid form, huh?" He sputtered as he straightened himself off and looked at her, an evil look overtaking his eyes.

Olivia's half-human, half-weapon form was similar to Alexander's in that her entire body took on her a different hue, a silvery and coarse skin. However, since she wasn't a 'mace' she didn't gain the same muscle mass as Alexander did, instead she might have actually lost some. Her already skinny fingers seemed to have grown a few extra inches although in all reality they could probably extend even further to become dangerous whips. However, these were not the weapon she had used to smash Kaos' head. Her real weapon was oddly enough, completely unangelic. A spindly, free-flowing iron whip stretched out from her body exactly like a tail would. However, it didn't seem all that menacing to Kaos, who didn't even back down. Instead he smirked, his face grew darker and more grim. He was obviously ready to do whatever was necessary to torture her and this only seemed to exhilarate him.

"You should make for a good warm-up before I finally have my destined fight with Alexander!" Kaos' body soon went under the same transformation, turning his body into a sleek ebony-colored killing machine.

* * *

><p>My brain died. I think it was from the copious amounts of school work...bottom line school is bad for the brain. My chapters are all mixed up, mis-numbered, I was supposed to post this one on Wednesday, but my brain decided to take a vacation...I've been really bad lately about a lot of things. Hopefully, I'll fix it soon.<p>

KAOS! I'm really getting psyched as the next few chapters all hit a few good notes with two (you can count them as they come) HUGE NOTES coming out. You'll be very surprised...considering if my brain doesn't die and I remember to post them and post them in the right order (seriously...so many problems!) Anyways...new chapter. Is it time for bed, yet? (It is hilarious cause its only 10 AM where I live right now, so its morning...yeah...anyways... DON'T JUDGE ME! MY BRAIN DIED!)


	95. Chapter 95 A God?

**A God?**

"Do you have any idea what you are doing!?" shouted Veri Fresh as he watched Alexander use his bare fists to crack up yet another door and walk in, asserting himself as a Marine from the nearby base conducting a search. The civilians were, of course, naturally rattled when he came barging in and hearing that at least one young woman has been abducted wasn't very settling either. They were being tossed into an uproar at each and every house as he relayed the information performed a quick search of the premises and went off, charging in another direction. Veri Fresh was finding it hard to keep up with him, not because Alexander was particularly fast, but because Alexander was going at full-blast all the way, he knew to pace himself a little better. "You can't just keep going on like this you'll start a riot!"

"Rina's been kidnapped and it's entirely possible that Reggie and maybe even Specter have been captured as well!" shouted Alexander as he pushed pass Veri Fresh. The thought had initially crossed Veri Fresh's mind about Reggie being kidnapped, but Specter, too? Where was he anyways? As if reading Veri Fresh's mind Alexander snapped back at him, "Specter went off to blow you up, but he obviously hasn't succeeded! Reggie is still missing! And now we find a half-dead Hayate walking around! We can't just slow things down! We need to find them and we need to find them now!" Veri Fresh smirked slightly, despite the horrible situation they were in it is nice to see that Alexander is worrying about them. For a second Veri Fresh was worried he would have to completely transfer the entire crew around. It looked like Veri Fresh wouldn't have to work after all!

…or maybe he was thinking that too soon as Alexander blew another door down and immediately charged into the room. "THIS IS COMING OUT OF YOUR PAY!" shouted Veri Fresh loudly knowing that all of the broken doors would have to be replaced and then in rare cases the families may just have to be reimbursed for damages to their homes…which meant more paper-work. "You gotta approach this logically, where would this monster be hiding? He's obviously a maniac, but in order to successfully take down Rina we got to assume he's either smart enough to outwit her or strong enough to beat her in a fair fight. Obviously based on Hayate's condition we know the second one is true, but it doesn't mean we out rule the first, especially if we are assuming he managed to capture both Reggie and Specter as well, correct?"

"You're talking too much!" shouted Alexander as he completely ignored Veri Fresh's warning and instead decided to just plow through another door and bust in on yet another innocent family having an innocent dinner…innocently. Alexander screamed in frustration and quickly turned around, leaving the confused (and innocent) family sitting there watching the Marine storm away from their newly broken door. Veri Fresh immediately rushed in and accepted responsibilities, trying to calm the family down, and slowly succeeding at it. By the time he had finished calming them down he came back out just in time to see Alexander find another door to break down. Veri Fresh flinched as he quickly took note that for every door Alexander broke meant more paper-work for him.

"Maybe you should go by your ship first and check it out," said a voice. Alexander and Veri Fresh both pivoted in their spot to see someone coming towards them. His body definitely wasn't of the same type as a normal human, it looked almost as if he was wearing a bulky anti-radiation suit. "I saw some suspicious people roaming around down there last time I checked. Might be worth it, don't you agree?" Alexander paused for a second as if deciding on whether or not to take this man's words at an even level…something about him seemed to remind Alexander of a snake. He couldn't see anything about him, almost as if he was hiding himself from the duo.

"Alexander, I believe you can trust this man," said Veri Fresh as he looked to the side, trying to avoid eye contact with either one of them. "Besides I was thinking the same thing…" what Veri Fresh didn't want to mention is that if Alexander went to the ship he would stop breaking down doors and he wouldn't have to fill out too much more paperwork. Alexander turned around and began to race off in one direction, but he stopped a little short and looked over his shoulder at Veri Fresh as if asking 'aren't you coming?'

"I'm sorry, Alexander, but I'm afraid I got some unfinished business left to take care of," Veri Fresh shuffled forward slightly and looked up at the man before them, who didn't seem to budge. Alexander took this as his sign to get out of there and quickly raced off. The man in the bulky suit smiled and shook his head.

"Still playing hero, eh, captain?" he said as he stepped forward and let himself be bathed by one of the street lights. His yellow hazmat-like suit came into full view for Veri Fresh and instantly Veri Fresh's worst case scenario was confirmed.

"Void Furrow…how nice it is to see you again," Veri Fresh said as he took up a fighting stance ready to tango with his old crewmate. "I'm trying to think back to the last time I saw you…I imagine it must've been back when your head was on the executioner's platform…ready to be chopped off. Does that sound about right?"

"Is that the lie you've been telling the Marines, cause we met once after that as well…we shared our last drink together as allies," continued Void as he made another half step forward. "Back when we were on the same crew we shared dozens of drinks together and we decided before we meet again on the battlefield we should have one final one after my 'supposed' execution. How was it by the way? Going to your friend's execution, attending his funeral, and then days later you see him alive and he asks you for a cup of tea?"

"Not really all that surprising, I know you didn't die upon that stand. I've been with you for awhile now and I've learned a few of your secrets," breathed out Veri Fresh as if preparing for what was going to happen next, "I've seen you at death's door dozens of time and each and every single time you wore the same stupid grin on your face…that's what separated me from you in the end. I feared death and did everything I could to avoid it…and you wanted to conquer it. You wanted to show that not only could you beat it, but you could control it with your weapons! Ain't that right, Voi D. Furrow!"

Veri Fresh had seen that smile before, the smile that was crossing over Voi's face right now, it was the same face he wore when he designed his weapons. "I'm amazed you figured that out, oh, well…I suppose the question is, What are you going to do now? My name has no consequence on that question, but I am seriously intrigued by your choice. What will you do when you are faced with a man who has not only beat death, but now can control it?"

Veri Fresh shook his head, once more Void was posturing. It was a shame that that was all he could do now. "I'm going to do exactly what I told you I would do when we met for tea for the last time. Voi D. Furrow, you are under arrest!"

"Wonderful, true to your very last words," Void said stepping back and opening his arms, inviting Veri Fresh forward and to the fight. Veri Fresh welcomed the chance. He disappeared into a blur that blasted forward, several quick and piercing attacks came forward all of them intending to rip Void's life right out of him. Veri Fresh began the assault with a quick pincer attack, he brought his right upwards, his fingertips forming a spear point while his left had shot downwards in the form of an edge of a keen blade. Void's two hands managed to snake out just in time to stop the incoming twin attacks by grabbing Veri Fresh's wrists. "I've seen you've gut many a men with these very hands. You could be a doctor…if you didn't always make such a mess."

Veri Fresh lifted his leg straight up, squeezing it in between them. In the same instance he rotated his hands around in Void's grip and grabbed a hold of Void's hands, returning the vise-like hold on him, making sure that even Void couldn't escape this one. Suddenly Veri Fresh brought his leg snapping down with extreme force behind it. However, what Veri Fresh found out shocked him to his core. His attack had no effect on Void! "I'm not done yet!" Veri Fresh catapulted himself into the air using his leg, jumping into the air above Void Furrow. Then he quickly rerouted his body and sent himself rocketing downward with his right hand extended in the form of a claw. Void reached up and blocked the attack with the palm of his right hand. Once more Veri Fresh's attack seemed to have done nothing. "Whatever trickery you use, let's see if it works a third time!" Veri Fresh slung his body around, completing a short circle that ended with his knee jammed into Void's face, but despite its ferocity and location it didn't seem to have any effect on the mad scientist.

"Of course, you would try that, you're not going to go easy on me just because we're old friends," Void slapped Veri Fresh's knee out of the way and let him fall to the ground. "A simple yet effective combo most men would be reeling from. But, of course, I'm no longer in the realm of men!" Void Furrow tossed his large suit to the side, revealing his body. "I have shed that former life and now here I am on the pedestal of Gods!" Veri Fresh's face tensed at the news…God? Is that what he really considered himself just cause he managed to survive a few blows from him. Wait a second!

Veri Fresh's eyes went wide as he finally managed to focus on Void Furrow's body. It was obvious that what he had experienced in these past few years weren't nothing like what Veri Fresh had experienced in his entire life! Void's entire body was covered in stitches from head-to-toe! It looked like he had been run over by the sea train and then hastily put back together! "What happened to you?" Veri Fresh said, a slight show of concern showing on his face for his former friend. "I know you used to be a sickly kid, which is why you wore that suit, but this…what happened?"

"I told you I ascended the realm of mortal," Void took a step forward and placed a hand on Veri Fresh's shoulder. Veri Fresh initially flinched expecting some kind of trick, but Void's palm was completely empty. Veri Fresh he supposed he allowed narrow-minded cultural assumptions of the fact Void was a pirate meant that Void was going to try and kill him in this instant. He supposed Void apparently still treasured their friendship in the slightest. "I have ascended all the planes. Your simple attacks can no longer even graze my cheeks, but I am still perfectly capable of hurting you." All of a sudden Veri Fresh's entire body jerked backwards as he reeled…or more like flew back from an incredible force being emptied into his shoulder.

Veri Fresh managed to land safely, though his breathing was quickened and hurried. It was obvious that whatever trick Void had stooped to it had worked. There was nothing in Void's hand, which was a shame as Veri Fresh's first thought was an Impact Dial, but…that was impossible. Maybe it was some sort of a Devil Fruit? Nonetheless Veri Fresh assumed he had nothing left to hold back…he would have to end it quickly regardless of whatever unnatural power Void Furrow had somehow came into possession of.

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><p>And you guys all thought Veri Fresh would just be sitting on his butt forever, huh? Nope! Behold bad-ass Veri Fresh! Oh, nope...he turns into a real ba-dass in a few chapters. Meanwhile the hunt is still on for Kaos will alexander make it in time?<p> 


	96. Chapter 96 Failure

**Failure**

Alexander breathed heavily as he stepped back onto his own ship. He was tired and nearly exhausted. He had ran all the way here and now here he was, still unsure if this was the right place. He paused, hesitatingly at his own door. This was the first time he had ever done so. He paused his hand, inches away from the door knob. He had never hesitated on any of the other doors he had knocked down. He had broken them down without even a second thought, but now he seemed to have been finally opening his eyes to the truth. The villain was behind this door, his kidnapped frie-er, crew mates…were behind this door. He had no idea what could possibly be ahead of him now. However, he had to face it head on. It was really the only way he was good at. He reached back and prepared for it. "**Ferric Fist!"** He hit the door with tremendous force, breaking it up completely sending splintering pieces of wood flying in all directions revealing the inside of the room.

The captain's quarter was almost exactly how he remembered it. The large bed in the center of the room, the nice nightstand next to it, equipped with its very own Flash Dial lamp and even had a stack of books resting next to it. Some of them were Marine issued books, like the Marine handbook or the survival guide, however, Alexander recognized a few of them from Rina's own personal collection. The rest of the room remained pretty much unchanged as well. He swept his head through it looking at the room he had forgotten about the dark black-out curtains on the walls were open and allowed a stream of light to come in and coat the room in a warm glow. Even the intruder was covered in a warm almost comfortable glow…given that he was sprawled out on the bed with a book in his hand it was entirely possible that he really was comfortable laying there in an enemy's ship.

"Hello," he said clamping the small book close. Alexander didn't know what book it was it looked like a rather tattered version of a really old notebook. The pages even looked like they yellowed a bit. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Alex."

"The name's Alexander," pointed out the Marine proudly. He looked over his intruder once and then twice, trying to place his face. It had been awhile since they saw each other so Kaos just sat back and decided to see how long it took Alexander to place his face. Finally, Alexander seemed to grasp it. However, rather saying his name Alexander decided it would best to skip over that lengthy process. He leapt into the air and twisted his entire body around firing a single downward punch. Kaos smiled as if that was all the proof he needed to know for sure that Alexander understood that it was him and what he was here for. Alexander whipped his fist down and smashed it into the bed, easily crushing it beneath his full-strength. He had intended to do Kaos in with that punch as well, but the nimble man was already gun bolting to the side and gliding out of harm's way. Alexander didn't stop the assault, as soon as he landed he bolted forward, sending his entire weight crashing forward and at Kaos. This time Kaos decided not to dodge and instead betted on whether or not he could receive Alexander's full force head-on and come out on top. Kaos brought his two arms down and allowed Alexander' shoulder to smash up into his gut. Kaos' entire body would've been thrown back from the force, but Kaos managed to wrap his arms around Alexander's neck and steady his head. Alexander pushed him back, Kaos couldn't keep his feet stuck on the ground against the full brunt of Alexander's force. He was doomed to be smashed backwards and right into the wall. Alexander brought the entire wall down with them as he bulldozed through it and onto the open deck.

Kaos managed to stand back up although he appeared to be a little woozy once he was back up on his own two feet. He seemed almost like a toddler first learning how to walk, however, this earned him no sympathy from Alexander. Lefts and rights were being fired faster than bullets, the large iron fists came cutting through the air with extraordinary sharpness and powerful. All of this was proof of Alexander's rank and life. Despite this barrage which would overwhelm most normal people, Kaos seemed to be thinking of it as a walk in the park. His head bobbed and weaved, speeding through the insanity with the grace and poise of a prizefighter. Kaos managed to break through the blizzard of punches and he readied his own. It flew straight like an arrow, however, whether it was by luck or skill Alexander was sending a punch at the exact same time. The two punches crossed over each other as if meeting for just a second before crashing into their respective opponents.

Alexander's punch took the low road and smashed into Kaos' gut, a powerful left body blow. Kaos' punch instead flew in from the sky and smashed into Alexander's cheek. The dual attacks weren't enough to cause any serious damage especially not on their own, but it managed to create a lull in the action. Both sides were forced to a temporary cease-fire. "I'm still every bit amazed by you," laughed Kaos as he slowly began to recover from the devastating body blow. "You've definitely grown even stronger since I've last seen you. In just three years you've managed to become a completely capable Marine captain…well, almost capable. I still kidnapped all of your friends."

"And I intend to beat their location out of you!" shouted Alexander as he brought his entire body down and rested on his back legs as well as both sets of his knuckles. Alexander slowly began to rock back and forth beginning to build up momentum. Suddenly Alexander bolted forward, throwing his entire weight forward using both of his legs as well his arms. He was almost instantly thrown beneath Kaos. Kaos smiled, happy for the chance to take on his idol at such an incredible level. Alexander slammed on his brakes and brought his left arm swinging inwards and upwards, combining the power, angle, and speed necessary for a perfect liver blow. Kaos whipped his entire body around and brought his two arms together and formed a tight shield with them to block Alexander's powerful blow. Kaos' smile grew even wider as he felt his arms start to tingle all over from the insane force that had just been emptied out into him. Of course, Alexander wasn't about to stop there. He rotated all around and brought his right fist arcing forward now. Shifting his weight once more he brought his right fist in like a tornado with the power to match, a disastrous right hook. Kaos tried to turn around and match Alexander's next swing, but he found out too late that Alexander's failed punch still managed to lift him off of the ground. He couldn't brace himself for this one! Alexander's punch cleaved through the air and smashed right into Kaos' shoulder, Kaos was once more in awe of the force as he could swear his shoulder broke beneath the immense force. Kaos managed to land well, but that meant next to nothing. As he placed his feet on the ground and skid back he lifted his head just in time to see Alexander charging in again.

"Nice job, it seems like this fight is leaning heavily in your favor…or is it!" Kaos lifted his foot up and managed to place it in between them. He placed his foot directly onto Alexander's shoulder and then he kicked up, taking to the air and above Alexander. Alexander tried to twist around to meet him, but the only thing he met with was Kaos' right foot. Alexander's entire head jerked to the side. Kaos landed and this time it was his turn to go on the assault. He dropped his waist like Alexander did and from here, he quickly shot upwards this time swinging his knee forward, concentrating all of his power behind it. The knee strike continued on its way up and ripped through the air not stopping until it struck Alexander directly in the diaphragm. The air was forced out of Alexander's lungs as he felt the full-bodied impact shoot through his body like electricity almost shutting off his entire body in one go. Alexander stumbled back for a second, wide-eyed and shaken from the powerful blow. Just like Alexander Kaos wasn't about to let this opportunity go. Kaos lifted one leg directly into the air, "**Damascus Kick!" **His leg fell down with the power and keen edge to match a master's katana. Alexander recovered in that same second.

Alexander's hands snapped together like a vise, managing to catch the kick before it sliced into him. "It takes guts to even attempt to catch an attack like this, I guess, that is something to be said for you, however," Kaos lifted his entire body up using Alexander's arm as a pivot, an act that could only be done by only using the muscles in your leg. One leg contained enough strength to hoist his entire body off of the ground with ease. He brought his second leg, swinging inwards for Alexander's face. Another powerful attack all of his force was once more concentrated into one fine point, his big toe. It is said that the human leg contains three times the strength of their arms and when throwing a punch that force is spread out amongst the fist, this time the entire power was concentrated into the tip of his nail. It was like the difference between a hammer and a sword. Of course, Alexander wasn't helpless.

Alexander spun around, shifting around quickly, and he began doing circles and of course due to his iron grip on Kaos' leg anyway he spun Kaos spun as well. Soon they were like fan blades and Kaos had no control over his own direction. That is until Alexander let go. His hands slipped off of Kaos' leg and sent him flying towards the mast. Kaos' small body came crashing into the mast and brought the entire mast down and on top of him. Alexander was a bit dizzy from spinning Kaos around, but as soon as he became clear-headed again he planted his foot and charged forward aiming for the little brat who was standing before him. Kaos was a little bit confused even when he felt Alexander's body shudder into his own, it was clear he still hadn't recovered from Alexander's rather rash string of attacks. He was taken up and off of the ground and soon the two of them were carried off of the ship due to Alexander's forward momentum, the two of them flew through the air briefly, entangled in a mess. Despite the fact that they both should've been distracted by the fact that they were sailing over the sea, their worst enemy, neither side had stepped attacking even at such close range! Stray elbows and random punches were thrown as the two grappled. They were thrown forward, completely confused and befuddled until they hit the ground, a small ship that had been docked next to theirs. They rolled around, tossing and turning on the ship until Kaos finally managed to pry Alexander off. Kaos was in bad shape, but Alexander wasn't much better off. It was obvious that both side had suffered heavy losses even in this briefest of fights. Alexander quickly caught himself and skidded back, he took a step off of the boat and onto the dock which was a little bit bigger and sturdier than the boat was. The dock was made of concrete while the boat was just a small wooden fishing boat. Kaos seemed to agree with Alexander's decision as he, too, stepped onto the dock to meet with his rival.

"I'm kind of surprised that you decided to take this path," Alexander said, breathing heavily. "I always knew you weren't cut out to be a Marine, but to think you'd go so far as to become a pirate and target me and my friends!" Alexander didn't charge in just yet, Kaos had landed a few prime blows on his body, even if Alexander wasn't broken just yet Kaos' blows were like swings of a pick-axe, they just shaved off a little and weakened the base until it managed to take off a huge chunk. "So, what finally pushed you over the edge? Lost your first mission?" Alexander didn't have much room to talk when it came to failing missions.

Kaos kicked his head back and laughed, "figures the man who pressed the red button had no idea why the bomb exploded." Alexander still wore the dim-witted look on his face, unsure of what Kaos said. Suddenly Alexander's face lit up as if finally grasping what he had just said. "Exactly," congratulated Kaos, "I looked up to you as did Olivia. You were the original. You were the golden boy. They just didn't make us of the same cloth…or in this case weapon. Me and Olivia were left behind in your dust. You were just made better. Olivia could never match your strength and I could never match your gentle justice-filled heart. We were failures since we took our first breath.

"Don't worry I don't blame you," Kaos continued swinging his arms open, "I blame everyone. Anyone who took part in that accursed Homunculus project deserves to burn. However, you are special. I looked up to you, remember? You were my mentor, my goal when I was first created. Those kind of feelings just don't disappear! So, I wanted your death to be a special one." Kaos stopped for a moment and motioned to the side. Alexander paused and moved his head to the side. The dock next to his ship, the one he had skipped rushed over in order to get onto his ship and save his nakamas hid a secret.

"RINA, SPECTER, REGGIE, OLIVIA!" Alexander shouted turning around and starting to move forward for them. His crewmates were hung underneath the dock, tied up in some kind of metal straight jacket. The sea was barely starting to lap at their feet. Every so often a splash of the cold water would spray upon their feet and Alexander was stuck on the dock next to them completely helpless, he could only watch.

"Amazing conundrum, isn't it?" asked Kaos, "You can't swim. In other words you can't rescue them. In order to get them up you'd either have to drag them up or swim down there to get to them. I managed to hang them up cause I got here at low tide, which gave me just enough room to squeeze down there and hang them…however, low tide's over." Alexander knew the basics of low and high tide, if low tide was over then high tide would begin…and if high tide began than the bottom of the docks would soon be almost submerged and his teammates would be completely submerged. "I was a Marine…completely unsuited to this job since I took my first breath. I was a killer, a monster, and yet I was forced to take part in the ridiculous farce and now you will too." Kaos placed a light hand on Alexander's shoulder. "You are supposed to a hero, a friend, and a captain and yet never in a million years would you ever be able to fulfill any of those roles to these people. You were just not created capable to fulfill those roles.

"You're a failure."

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><p>Okay, guys, I got finals coming up. Not fun. Can't promise too many bonus updates during this time, but I'll endeavor to keep up with the basic one every other week ones. Least I can do. Anyways, it looks like Alexander was once more thrown into a pickle, huh? Once more it looks like being a 'hammer' as they put in One Piece will make it where he can't save his crew. Sucks to be him, but how is our purple haired onion friend handling himself? Find out next chapter (maybe?) Also, to anyone who thought that the whole Void Furrow = Voi D. Furrow was the big reveal I promised. WRONG! Got another one coming your way soon.<p>

P.S. I don't know if there's anyone out there who reads 96 chapters of a fanfic and doesn't favorite or follow the author. Nor do I know how many people out there don't do that and don't keep up with my other works. But I got a third One Piece Story up and running called Sights Set on the Sky. Look into it!


	97. Chapter 97 The Reason

**The Reason**

Veri Fresh jumped back barely missing the strike of yet another one of Void's knee. Back in the day Void Furrow didn't have any physical prowess, he was the intellectual one of the team, he could shoot, create weapons, and think up of brilliant strategies, but put him in a fist-fight against a toddler and the odds were 50/50. However, the last few blows told Veri Fresh a very different story. Whatever Void has been doing these past few years had definitely made him a stronger person and an even worse foe. Veri Fresh's blows were doing nothing while Void's attacks seemed to have enough force to rip a mountain apart. It was odd, an anomaly Veri Fresh couldn't figure out at all. Veri Fresh figured he wouldn't figure anything out if he just stayed on the defense…time to destroy his old ally.

Veri Fresh lunged forward, firing a corkscrew blow that concentrated all of his force behind a single point and let loose a terrifying thrust. Just as Veri Fresh figured Void didn't waste any time dodging the blow, instead he let the blow land, which produced a mildly disturbing sizzle. From there Veri Fresh swung his arm in and fired a punch. The punch was nothing, but as soon as the punch landed almost a milli-second later a second blast ensued. And this one was something. It blew Veri Fresh's body away from the fray and across the ground. Veri Fresh swung around and managed to land, but Void wasn't interested in doing anything halfway. He jumped into the air and rotated his body around, directing his entire body downwards and bringing his hand down aiming for Veri Fresh's poufy hairdo. Blocking was out of the question whatever trickery Void was using made sure that blocking was an insane man's gamble. Veri Fresh jumped backwards, sending his body back and compressing his legs against the ground only to fire himself upwards aiming for Void's neck. Void cackled as he saw his opponent fly at him. Bringing up his guard would also be pointless, he let Veri Fresh's hand skewer his neck…after all Veri Fresh's attacks did nothing. Once more Veri Fresh felt all the force empty out of his hand and apparently go someplace else as Void Furrow's body didn't even jerk back from the force. Void brought his hand cleaving through the air, but Veri Fresh jumped back avoiding the blow once more. He was starting to tire out, but he knew a rest was out of the question.

"I suppose you do deserve my full strength after all," said Void as he turned around to face him. "Your attacks…this was your goal, wasn't it?" Void pulled his collar back and out of the way to reveal some very fine powder dusted across his neck. "Seastone powder, a brilliant invention. Rather than lugging around heavy rocks the Marines decided to ground the stones into a powder that can be thrown or placed onto a target. If that target had Devil Fruit powers than their Devil Fruit powers would be eliminated…I'll admit this would've been a very effective tactic…if I was using a Devil Fruit." Veri Fresh grimaced as Void let his collar snap back over the powder, ignoring the power-sapping stone. Veri Fresh knew right then that his power definitely wasn't from a Devil Fruit. Void wouldn't boast like that. Void liked the puzzle and liked proving his superiority to his opponent, telling his opponent a lie like that would only take away from his victory. "Perhaps now I'll show you my second weapon." Void Furrow opened his mouth and Veri Fresh's eyes widened, he understood everything in that instant. He understood where Void's power was coming from…well, some of it. He knew he wasn't a Devil Fruit user, using a simple trick…or human anymore.

A beam of light rocketed loose from Void's mouth, gouging out the land as it came. Veri Fresh threw his entire body to the side, avoiding the deadly blast. He couldn't believe the power behind it. It was definitely the same design as a Pascifista's laser gun, it was a weapon designed off of one of the greatest Marine Admirals of the last generation! Kizaru's light cannon! Void never joined the Marine to create a better world. He joined it to steal the designs! He wasn't human, but a cyborg! His god-like power was explained! With Void's knowledge of human weapons and the human body nothing was out of his reach now, his body was probably capable of doing anything…that just meant that Veri Fresh would have to rip his gears out! Veri Fresh bolted over, covering the ground quickly and once more formed a sharp claw with his right hand and brought it forward, smashing into Void's gut, clearly intending to pierce all the skin and organs in his path. However, Void just smiled as once more the force disappeared.

"I'm truly sorry," said Void as he went forward and grabbed onto Veri Fresh's head, placing both hands on opposite side of his old captain's head. "But you just took your last breath!" Void Furrow let it loose once more, a simultaneous burst from both hands.

However, to his surprise it wasn't Veri Fresh who was in pain…it was him. His gut…he felt Veri Fresh's hand slip into it with all the force in the world behind it. Void pulled back and separated himself from his opponent, who was breathing heavily, apparently still not one-hundred percent sure what had happened, but one fact was true. He had Void's blood on his hand. "I thought so," managed Veri Fresh as he straightened himself out. "You shouldn't have shown your final hand. I never would've thought you would've experimented on yourself. A cyborg…such a far-sighted and genius technique. Infinite possibility and quite possibly an eternal life. That's the same reason you started the homunculus project, right?"

Void grimaced as he thought back to that failed project and realized that his jig was up. "I remember people always saying that your goal was to create a weapon so powerful it would end all war," continued Veri Fresh, "however, I remember what you said. No such thing was possible in a single lifetime, I thought it was odd. Why point out single? It wasn't until your 'death' that I understood. The Homunculus project was a means to the end. You did that where you could 'create' yourself, transfer your mind into it, and live a whole new life. Further your experiments with two lifetimes! Your cyborg body is obviously Plan 'B'…which brings me to why you are here."

Void smiled as he motioned to a small box he was carrying when he first showed up here. "In that box you'll find a bunch of ordinary fruits. Of two kinds…you know the theory of how when a Devil Fruit user dies their fruit is transferred into another fruit of the same-type, right? Well, right now as we fight, Alexander and Kaos are fighting to the death as well. Whoever wins will get the privilege to continue to live this messed up life, but whoever dies…their fruit will be reborn into one of those and I'll get to finally finish the true Homunculus project in my own lab…under the flag of Taka."

Taka!? Veri Fresh was a bit taken back by the mention of that name. Void Furrow had aligned himself to Taka?! That was major news. Veri Fresh had two options at this point either pass the information along to the higher-ups or dispose of Void Furrow here and now. He supposed if he had follow protocol the first option would be the one he had to use. However….Veri Fresh wasn't one for protocol. Veri Fresh sprung forward, throwing his entire body towards Void. "I mentioned it right, Void? That I had figured out your trick? It turns out my first thought was right." Void Furrow smiled and brought his arm up in front of him, apparently intending to stop all of Veri Fresh's force with just one arm. Void swung around and aimed a powerful left blow on Veri Fresh as well. Veri Fresh smiled and readied himself for the blow. Void unleashed, firing a brief and powerful blow that hit nothing but air. Veri Fresh jumped into the air and quickly brought his foot slicing through the air and into Void's body, kicking his head to the side. "You have Impact Dials embedded in your body," Veri Fresh stated. Void smirked, amazed by his opponent's incredibly deduction. "Whenever I threw a punch at you, you absorbed the force again and again. The Impact Dials are free floating due to your cyborg body in other words wherever you are going to get hit at you can send an Impact Dial down there to absorb the blow." Void nodded in understanding. "However, whenever you prepare to use an Impact Dial you have to send the power up to your arm and that's just what you do. You activate the Impact Dials and form a chain sending the force from one Dial to the next until it winds up in your hand. It is during this briefest of intervals that you have to drop your guard as Impact Dials cannot shoot out force as well and absorb it at the same time."

Void smiled, he wasn't upset that his opponent had figured out the trick, no, he was delighted. "Perhaps this won't be so boring after all."

(-With Alexander-)

Alexander was still not moving from his spot. His eyes focused completely on Rina, Specter, Reggie, and Olivia hanging there with the water lapping at their feet. Kaos slinked his way next to Alexander and looked at his handiwork. "In the Grand Line there is an island called Water 7 where the high tide comes on suddenly, overtaking the entire island in a matter of hours. It is said that the water there rises one story per half an hour, possibly even more during really bad ones. While the island here doesn't rise nearly as fast as that…I say your friends only got about…ten minutes before the water reaches their mouths. Of course, Olivia is only alive because of the Devil Fruit…if the water even so much as touches her she'll pass out…I'll give her ten minutes before she's dead."

"I'm sorry," muttered Alexander looking over at his crew. Kaos smiled no doubt a feeling of complete and total worthlessness washing over him as he watched his crew die right before his eyes. "I'm sorry, Kaos." Kaos perked up why was he apologizing to him. Kaos leaned in closer…a little too close as he was soon met with a powerful right fist to the face. "I'm sorry, but the Marines don't condone killing."

"Are you reading me the riot act?" asked Kaos as he let loose a menacing laugh. "Did you forget something? I don't care! The Marines can condone or not condone whatever they want! I don't care, I'll do whatever I want whenever I want just because I can! You are wasting your time telling me that the Marines will want to arrest me because I killed your precious friends."

"No, that's not what I'm saying," Alexander said as he turned to face Kaos. "I'm sorry because that means I can't kill you. So, I'll just have to settle for breaking every bone in your body." Kaos was a little bit taken back Alexander's claim, he was still a little dumbfounded when Alexander charged at him. Kaos brought his arms up to guard, but Alexander's heavy swing just seemed to eat right through them. Kaos' entire body shuddered back and his arms were pried open from the force, he flung both of his arms open and to the side, leaving his chest completely exposed. As quick as lightning Alexander fed two punches straight through the air and into Kaos' chest further breaking down his opponent. Alexander quickly lowered his waist and few another punch into Kaos' body, this time a punch that shot up at a forty-five degree angle that blasted straight into Kaos side. Alexander continued the punch through and then turning that moment into a complete circle and fired another punch using that. Kaos' body was violently thrown to the side just in time for him to see Alexander's next punch come soaring in and smashing him in the face. Kaos's body shuddered and was knocked back, flying through the air for a brief second before Kaos managed to recover.

"_Shit, I can't keep this up! I'm not going to turn into Alex's punching bag!" _Kaos landed on the ground just as Alexander kicked off and came charging in like a bull again. Kaos struck out, slicing upwards with his heel and forcing Alexander to back off. Alexander didn't even bother to stop at the warning sign. He just kept charging in. He brought his right fist sweeping in, ignoring Kaos' slicing heel and fired a punch regardless. Kaos felt Alexander's punch smash into his cheek, however, he also felt something else. He felt his own heel dig into Alexander's flesh. "Shit! Take this! **Flashbang!" **Kaos swung his arm inwards and opened the palm of his hand right in front of Alexander's face. Alexander barely hesitated, whatever kind of attack it was, Alexander had faith in his own strength to overcome it! Alexander brought his left hand up into the air and then shifted it around to have it fall downwards. Suddenly an incredible burst of light exploded from Kaos' open palm, blinding Alexander and causing the Marine captain to falter backwards. **"FIREFIST!" **A Heat Dial embedded in his gauntlets suddenly activated and heated up the entire gauntlet as well as Kaos' own body. Kaos let a flaming punch rip through the air and Alexander. Alexander stumbled back again.

Kaos grinned with pure malice. Where Alexander had chosen to use only his own pure power, Kaos had decided to branch out and create a real weapon. His gauntlets were the perfect weapon to defeat Alexander. Alexander was still such a straight-lace, goody two shoes, despite whatever anyone else said about him. He would always treasure justice, equality, and fairness above all! **"Iron Claws!" **The Breath Dials embedded in his claws activate quickly taking air out of the atmosphere around them until the air became noticeably thinner, thin enough to mimic the qualities up on the White White Sea! Then giant metal claws exploded free from Kaos' hands as he stepped forward, intending to pierce Alexander's chest and rip his heart out! Alexander snapped his two arms in front of him, just cause he couldn't see didn't mean he couldn't block that attack. He tightened his guard just in time to intercept the metal claws. Alexander's entire body shuddered back as Kaos' maddening stroke came into contact with his solid guard. Alexander skidded back trying to remain strong, but he couldn't keep his balance. Kaos leaned in and charged forward, bringing his other hand and other claw screeching through the air aiming for Alexander's cheek. Alexander couldn't bring his arms up quick enough this time. So the deadly claw smashed into his face and sent him tumbling back. Alexander wasn't down just yet, he spent a brief second recovering. Alexander rubbed his eye, his eyes were still stinging from the flash of light. However, he could see again. However, the only thing he could see out of his right eye was a stream of his own red blood. Kaos' powerful swing managed to crack through even Alexander's solid skin. It looked like Alexander wouldn't have any chance to hold back this time. It would be an all-or-nothing fight straight from the beginning. Alexander tucked his arms in it front of him and formed a solid guard, using it to rush forward for Kaos.

Kaos jumped into the air, propelling himself above Alexander to take an advantage over him. From this position every single bit of Alexander's movements would be visible to him and he would easily take his time in taking him apart. Alexander stopped moving and stood still, lifting one leg up behind him as if preparing for a big kick. He lowered it until he was pressing his toes downwards and into the dock. From there he slowly built up tension, he didn't allow his kick to break free, but he was increasing the power in his leg. The tension that was building up in his leg was comparable to that of when someone flicked their finger. Ordinarily just swinging your finger wouldn't do anything, but if you flick your finger the built-up tension is released in one short burst. That's what Alexander was aiming for, except instead of one small finger the thing building up energy was his already incredibly powerful leg.

Kaos landed a few feet away from Alexander and showed no sign of his desire to move in and fight him. Instead Kaos just yawned and looked over to the dock next to them, where Rina and the rest of Alexander's crew were growing closer and closer to drowning. "Do you really think you have the time to do this?" asked Kaos spreading his arms open and inviting Alexander in to attack.

"It is exactly because I don't have that much time that I'm forced to do this," Alexander said beneath his breath as he tightened his leg muscles once more, preparing for the moment of release. **"Greater Flying Sickle!"** Suddenly Alexander let it all out, he flicked his leg forward with an incredible amount of speed and an even greater amount of power. None of the other techniques Alexander had used to date had such great speed, power…or range. Alexander's kick had released a slice of energy, akin to that usually brought out by one of the Rokushiki techniques, Rankyaku. Of course, this was one was of a different breed, but that didn't stop it from being just as deadly. And Kaos realized this as he watched the powerful chopping kick bolt towards him.

* * *

><p>Special credit to anybody who figured out Void's trick...and, yes, I am going to keep calling him Void rather than Voi...it just sounds cooler, plus a lot of people still refer to Gol D. Roger as Gold Roger. So as long as I have canon to support me I'm going to keep at it. So, yeah, more stuff is going on. I hope the two fights are living up to their potential. I liked them enough to think that they do a good job through and through.<p>

Also, yeah, this is a longer chapter than usual...I saw no reason to cut it up, but don't get used to these bulkier things.


	98. Chapter 98 It Gets Serious

**It Gets Real**

Alexander let loose a massive kick. "**Greater Flying Scythe!" **Alexander shouted as the kick cut through the air and ground, making its way quickly over to Kaos. Kaos looked a little stumble, but only for the briefest of moments before he decided he had to act and do so immediately. He brought his arms up in front of him and let more of his Eisen Cloud leak out forming a secondary shield in front of him. Alexander's vicious attack suddenly rammed into Kaos, ripping his feet off of the ground completely ignoring his shield. Kaos felt the iron cloud rip apart and even his arms start to separate as the attack wedged in deeper through the guard. Kaos grounded himself quickly, slamming his foot back onto the ground, refusing to be forced back again. However, that was only for the initial blow. Alexander rushed in behind his attack and was already in range to fire another high quality blow. The punch screeched through the air, aiming straight for Kaos' exposed jaw.

Kaos leaned back, his arms were flung to the side by Alexander's initial attack there's no way he could put a guard together fast enough to block. He watched as Alexander's first punch blew through the air, decimating the space right in front of him. It was a powerful blow, but as the creepy knowing smile crept over Kaos' face, it became an accepted fact. This was nothing that he wasn't expecting. The Flying Scythe technique was something that surprised Kaos, but if that was the only technique Alexander had in his arsenal like that…then this fight wouldn't even be fun. Kaos created a massive smokescreen with his Eisen Dials, and quickly forced them to take the shape of a sword. Kaos threw the iron sword clouds out into the opening and let them float there in the air, turning the field into a hazard zone.

Kaos smirked, he had to admit that Alexander was strong and well-experienced from his many fights out at sea as well as at the Marine Academy. However, Kaos also had faith in his strength, he had fought in numerous life-and-death battles as well, plus…he had on other edge over Alexander. "**Ebony Machine!" **A small Jet Dial enclosed in his right gauntlet suddenly turned on and thrust his fist forward with an incredible speed, slamming it into Alexander's face. However, Alexander didn't back down, he held onto his position and stayed standing…of course, that was only for the first blow. The next blow came in even faster with a devastating left, Alexander tried to remain strong and keep his feet planted and through some miracle he managed to not get pushed back by Kaos' ridiculously strong blow, but the next punch was already on its way. Alexander turned around and managed to put a guard in between the punch, however, just as the guard was up, Kaos retracted that fist and sent his other one shooting in! Alexander couldn't change his guard like that, he couldn't even brace himself in time for it. The punch was solid and good…it was a punch that could take out weaker men. Even against Alexander's solid body there was a lot of pain shooting out cause of it. It forced Alexander back, sending him tumbling back for just a second before he caught himself again. The punches didn't slow down; they started coming out faster and faster almost as if Kaos had three hands. Yes, if there was one thing that Alexander couldn't handle it was speed. Ordinarily Alexander could press through the barrage of punches and land his hits, but Kaos' strength didn't allow that as even a possibility.

That just meant he had to break-in from afar. Alexander stepped back rather than in, the move confused Kaos for a mere second before he realized what Alexander was going to do! **"Lesser Flying Scythe!" **Another powerful and fast kick was sent flying at Kaos' body. This time there was no building up power or tension, just a pure attack utilizing Alexander's full power. The attack cut through the air at Kaos.

Kaos once more made the proper preparations for this. He had been aiming to take down Alexander for a long time and as a result every scenario had been played out. He had an attack ready just in case for this. "**Firefist!" **The heating up of his gauntlet occurred once more. Suddenly he let it explode out from his range, incinerating the distance between him and Alexander. The powerful flames from the dials in his gauntlet roared forward towards Alexander. Alexander's Lesser Flying Scythe and Kaos' Firefist collided in the air. Alexander's cutting attack sliced the Firefist in half and continued on its way without waiting, however, Kaos' Firefist didn't just disappear it also continued towards the now rushing Alexander. The two attacks collided into their intended targets, causing them both to disappear into a thin screen of smoke and dust.

Alexander exploded from his cover first, immediately closing the distance between them. Kaos' smoke began to rustle a bit, hinting that the demon would soon be leaving his nest as well…but nothing of the sort happened. Instead it was a rapid-fire left and right that emerged, covering the remaining distance between them and slicing through the air with deadly precision. The punches snapped forward, smashing their way into the unguarded portions of Alexander's body. Each punch rocketed forward, sending Alexander on an uneasy walk forward, his body slowly creaking to the left and the right as he tried to move forward. He was only met with another constant barrage of fists! Each one let loose a loud echo, sending Alexander scooting back another inch and another with each and every precise ring. Despite the fact that the fight was currently in Kaos' control, he seemed almost upset at how things were going.

They were going too slow for him. Alexander's body may be tiring out and his punches may be slowing down, but the fact remained that he had underestimated one element when it came to this situation. His stamina. Alexander was still standing and Kaos doubted that that would change any time soon. Kaos may be pushing him back with his powerful fists and may be managing to keep Alexander out of his range, but still Alexander still managed to charge back in after each and every punch. If things kept going like this Alexander may just be too caught up in the fight to watch his friends die…and Kaos couldn't be having that just yet. "**Ebony Impact!" **Kaos' arm swung forward with the same speed and force as before, except this punch hid a deadly surprise. An Impact Dial hidden within the gauntlet. And, of course, Kaos had prepared an extra special treat for the fight. He had earlier used a cannon on the Impact Dial just to make sure this punch would be his secret weapon! The weapon to destroy Alexander's body! The fist made perfect contact with Alexander's left cheek and there seemed to be a moment that would stand in time forward. Kaos' sneering smile beaming down on Alexander as the first embedded itself in the cheek and then the moment that the Impact Dial was activated. Alexander's cheek rippled with the impact just moments before he was threw to the side from the force. Kaos was sure of it in that moment the fight was over.

The Marine captain was flung backwards, somersaulting through the air until he finally hit something hard, one of the ships docked and even then he was forced through it from the impact. Kaos was certain that he had probably crushed Alexander's cheek in that moment. He turned to follow Alexander into the ship, intending to drag him out of there and further grind him into the dirt, but the sound a high-pitched muffled scream stopped him. Kaos turned around, finally remembering that Alexander's crewmates were about to die. He had nearly forgotten about them…he was so obsessed with this fight that he had forgotten about his whole show. The sea was beginning to rise and crawl up their legs. Olivia would already be unconscious and heading to death, her Devil Fruit power slowly sapping away along with her life.

All three of them were awake and fighting against their bonds, struggling against it and trying to break free just to swim over here and help their captain. Pitiful was the word Kaos would use to describe it. "Your captain lost!" he screamed at them. "I won! You should be bowing before me, begging to worship my shoes, and the dirt beneath them! But no! Even my shoes are too good for you! Even the dirt is too good for you! I'll let you come in and treat my toilet as your god how about that!? Huh! Maybe if you spend every waking moment, completely devoted to my crap I'll let you live, huh! Ka ka ka ka!"

"If you ask me, every last bit of you is crap!" shouted a new voice. It wasn't Alexander, Kaos knew for a fact that Alexander was down and out. There was no way in hell that he was back up and running already. So, who was this newbie? Kaos supposed the more important question was…why did he let this newbie hit him so hard? Kaos' body was flung backwards, he was completely taken off guard. His feet skidded a few feet back over the stone surface. He could feel his body crumble for a second, but he was soon right back on his feet, ready to continue. His feet, his foundation had been shaken and he couldn't hold up for too much longer. He looked up just in time to see Dale charging in again, readying another fist.

Dale's entire body shuddered to a stop as Kaos unleashed another Jet Dial infused punch. The punch shot into Dale's face just as Dale was firing his own punch, a full-on counter. The power of both Dale's own body as well as Kaos' came shooting into him, focusing him to take a step back. His body was nearly out of it already. His body went limp, sagging forward for a second only to be pushed back up by another powerful punch from Kaos. "Ka ka ka! I beat Alexander and you expect your pussy punches to be enough to defeat me! I'll show you hell! I'll drag you through the very depths of hell just to show you how wrong you were to even think about touching me! Trying to act like Mr. Big Shot Hero! Try this on for size, huh, hero! Or zero! Zero! Zero! ZERO!" Each and every word was punctuated by a full-body punch that sent Dale's body staggering backwards, none of the punches seemed to be the punch to finish him.

After all Dale went through, booking it down here without a second thought to help Alexander and Olivia and this was how it was going to end? Dale knew just how fruitless this was. He had taken a full-on blow from Alexander during their spar and now he was hoping to fight someone who beat him! It wasn't possible for him! It just wasn't possible! And, yet, here he stood. On his own two feet braving against an opponent he had no chance to win against...perhaps his will as a Marine was finally beginning to show.

(-With Veri Fresh-)

Veri Fresh was trying to take his time. The fact was that he could only attack when Void was attacking that put a huge damper on his plans. He couldn't rush in and take the pace he had to wait patiently for the moment of attack. Anything else would just be fruitlessly burning away his stamina. However, as Void had pointed out he wasn't here to take out Veri Fresh, he was just here to get another Hito-Hito no mi type fruit and then leave. He was anxiously starting around waiting for the moment of the killing blow between his two creations, not even bothering to attack. 'Why take the risk?' was Void's thought. He had no interest in this petty fight between them, he had greater things to think about. "Maybe I'll make the next one a girl?" laughed Void Furrow, his tongue slipping out of his mouth and hanging like a dog's. "I'm sure I could make a real pretty one, don't you think?" Veri Fresh wasn't in a very talkative mood. "Of course, I have very little experience with females…maybe I'll just have to try and base it off of someone I know…any ideas Veri Fresh? What piece of meat would you like to see in this world, huh? Maybe I could redesign Boa Hancock's body or even take Nico Robin's body for my own bidding. Surely they were both prime pieces of flesh back in the old days…or maybe I should take someone from this generation. You wouldn't happen to have any pictures of your daughter on you, would you?"

Veri Fresh just vanished at those words. Void was surprised, what just happened? It wasn't until he felt it that he realized what had happened and where Veri Fresh had disappeared to. Veri Fresh had bolted underneath Void with an incomparable amount of speed. From there Veri Fresh swung his entire body up and around, shooting the attack upwards and right into Void's cheek. Of course, Void didn't feel the impact of the blow, no, he had absorbed that. He instead felt Veri Fresh's arms wrap around his neck as the Rear Admiral leapt upwards, hoisting his entire body upwards and ramming a knee straight into Void's jaw. Of course, Veri Fresh wasn't about to accept that as the end of this assault. Veri Fresh shot one leg down and used that to flip backwards, sending his other leg shooting up the front of Void's chest all the way up and into Void's jaw from a nearly impossible position. And that was when Void heard it…a sharp and devastating crack. It wasn't his jaw that broke. It was the Impact Dial! An object known to absorb blow after blow after blow from a cannon and this man just broke it! Void skirted backwards, desparate to escape the hold Veri Fresh had, but it was no use. Veri Fresh's hands held on tight as he released a powerful sideways kick, shooting from the ground straight into Void's side. Void felt the Impact Dial do its job and absorb that blow, but how many more could it handle? Void freed one hand and pushed it forward, pressing it against Veri Fresh's chest. Even if Void got hit in the process he had to push Veri Fresh off of him!

The attack was a dual exchange just as Void released the pressure from the Impact Dial, Veri Fresh had landed another blow onto Void's other side. However, Void was the one who truly lucked out that little blow managed to push Veri Fresh off of him and freed Void's other Impact Dials from breaking. Void had heard rumors of Veri Fresh not being able to use Haki…but if that was true…than it was entirely possible that Veri Fresh was the strongest man in the world. His attacks could shatter brick, stone, and steel without any sort of repercussions. Years of experience and training had propelled Veri Fresh to this height, no Haki, no Devil Fruit, he was just plain superhuman. That was why all those years back Void had chosen to follow under Veri Fresh's command. He thought Veri Fresh was the perfect human specimen…and now he was faced with having to defeat him.

"I'm no longer human!" shouted Void at the top of his lung, stumbling for a second. He wasn't used to taking damage and this were two powerful blows right in a row. He doubted he could survive another one if it came like those last few. "You may be the very best of humankind! A shining example of what they can do, but even if that's so! You'll never break through the ranks to my level! I'm a god!" screamed Void, letting out an evil laugh.

Veri Fresh vanished once more only to appear right in front of Void, both of his hands still a blur as one of them came swooping in from the top and the other, rocketing in from the bottom. Their goal was to smash Void's head in between them. "I'll slay any god that insults my daughter."

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><p>And boom. Another chapter out. I rather like the idea of another girl homunculus, but...that's another matter entirely. I think I would design them Nico Robin...but once again that's another matter entirely. No idea for a good chapter here...wait! Did Alexander just lose the fight!? That's impossible! That's not right! Oh, well, Dale is here to clean things up. AND NO! This is not the big reveal either. To me a character getting his butt whooped isn't worthy of no 100-chapter spectacular!<p> 


	99. Chapter 99 Hammering Blows

**Hammering Blows That Echo Through the Body**

**Alexander's Second Wind**

Alexander's hand flickered, a small amount of life coming back into his body. He took a deep breath and felt the air course through this body, running through his lungs, his veins, his heart…granting him another few seconds of life. Alexander rolled to his side, trying to reawaken his body. His body was broken, his life had been drained out of him, he just needed another few moments of life. Five minutes, no, just three. He needed just three minutes of energy, he needed to stay awake and alive for just three more minutes. If he could muster even that much strength he could do it. He could do it. Alexander's body creaked as he forced it to stand up, the wooden ship rocked unsteadily beneath his weight. He stood up and walked towards the edge of the ship's belly. He looked out and over the dock and the water to his crew, still hanging beneath the dock next to them. He heard their muffled screams as he slowly came out, but for some reason they didn't seem to be screaming to him…no, their screams seemed to be aimed at someone else. Alexander's gaze slowly stumbled down the dock, trying to find who was receiving his crew's cheers.

Kaos was still standing, pounding someone near him into the dust with rapid-fire punches similar to the kind that had managed to push Alexander back. It seemed to still have the same effect on whoever his new foe was. Alexander stumbled forward and tried to look forward to the new opponent. The enemy of his enemy was his friend…or some similar old saying. He was surprised to see it was Dale! Wasn't he supposed to be back at the Marine Base treating Hayate? Then again he suppose so was Olivia and she somehow wound up under the dock. It made him wonder who was taking care of the little fellow…Rina would have his head if she found out he wasn't being treated. Alexander moved forward towards Kaos, intending to stop him this instant. Alexander's impressive speed seemed to finally be dwindling, his stamina reaching its limits. Three minutes that was how much time he had left. He couldn't hold himself back any more…all-or-nothing for three minutes. He'd be willing to bet on that. Alexander leaned down, pressing all of his weight onto his hand as well as the balls of his feet. He pumped more energy into his body, taking deeper and deeper breaths, flushing his body with a newfound strength. Another push.

Alexander's entire body was thrown at his opponent. He bolted over to Kaos, he planted one foot solidly on the ground and whipped his entire body around, shifting his strength from his charge to a single punch. His power shifted perfectly, moving from one part to the other, he kept his leg rigid refusing to let his one attack lose any power. He twisted his hips, forcing that power upwards and into his right fist. His shoulder and fist twisted inwards, all of the power shot upwards and through his fist. One punch was being given his all!

"How nice of you to save me the trouble of getting you," said Kaos twisting around and catching Alexander's fist, letting the power shoot up and into the Impact Dial, completely negating the attack in one swift movement. "I'm still not done with you. I've still got my big presentation left to show you." Dale rushed forward, intending to take advantage of this slight lapse in his attention and he wasn't about to pass this one slight opening pass him by! He'd slam his fist into Kaos' cheek and take him out with one final blow. The human body has several openings all over it. Ordinarily with Dale's intelligence he could strike at any one. He could strike a cluster of nerves and destroy the brain's control, he could attack the liver, which wasn't protected by any bone, his hand could slip through the openings of the rib cage and carve out his heart. However, he decided to go for the obvious opening. The opening all human beings were aware of, an opening even a little kid could spot. Dale's fingers outstretched, forming a powerful image of a spear. All of his attention was focused on one spot. Kaos' left eye! Kaos barely had any attention focused on Dale up until the point where he was within two feet. His gauntlets let out another stream of iron cloud that swirled around Dale's arms and forced him back. Kaos twisted around and readied the arm he used to absorb Alexander's punch. "**Ebony Impact!" **He swirled around and let all the power of Alexander's punch out of the Impact Dial, intending to rip his opponent down to nothing in just one punch.

"**Ferric Fist!" **Alexander whipped his body around and made a small punch that hammered into Kaos. Kaos' head barely even budged, however, it did enough to distract him, causing his punch to miss Dale, "damn…I don't have much strength…left." Alexander's breath slowly started to sag. He was running out of stamina. That damn dial in Kaos' hand managed to just barely be enough to push him down. The fact that Alexander was still standing could be seen as impossible in the first place, but he was still standing…and he was still fighting. Alexander's fist sagged heavily as he tried to raise them up to a fighting stance.

"**Iron Claws," **said Kaos bringing his weapon swooping in and using the curvature of his blades to drag Alexander's head in closer. "I knew I was right. You are something special…you didn't waste a second getting back up," Kaos smirked, cocking his head to the side. "I'm surprised. My old strategies, my previous situations all said you would've fallen by now. It is a pleasant surprise that you are still alive. If you would've died then all of my work and all of my planning would've been for naught and that would've upset me greatly. I thought for a second that I had all gone down the drain, that my perfect plan for revenge had been foiled because I couldn't contain myself. But you are still standing! How marvelous!" Kaos rammed his one gauntlet into Alexander's face. "**Ebony Impact!" **The Impact Dial went off once more, releasing a massive blast right into Alexander's face, but the deflated captain didn't move an inch. Kaos smiled, his goal for all this time was definitely worth it. His strength was still holding him up! This was what he would enjoy most, watching that power drain from his body. "**Ebony Impact!"**

"**Orichalcum Axe!" **Alexander brought his left fist, chopping downwards, sending his powerful fist right into Kaos' cheek at the moment of impact. Kaos spun away, breaking apart from the man, who obviously felt it. The power had gone up again. Kaos stumbled back, ready to accept his goal's last minute struggle. Only problem was he couldn't see where Alexander had disappeared to. "**Sledgehammer!" **started Alexander, which brought Kaos' head sweeping downwards to where the source of the sound was coming from, **"Uppercut!" **Alexander's fist arced upwards, catching Kaos' face about halfway through the swing and then continuing from them all the way up, knocking his enemy's block clear off. Kaos was thrown back, but he managed to catch himself with very little problem…however, the real problem was coming at him! "**Full-Body Hammer!" **Alexander shoved his entire body straight into Kaos' knocking him back. The pirate caught himself and landed gracefully on the ground.

"Let's see which is better," said Kaos spreading his arms and allowing the slick Eisen Dial cloud to coat the field, which seemed to mean very little for Alexander as he charged through the mess, knowing his time limit was almost up. His body should've started to slow down by now, the only reason it hadn't was because Alexander was refusing to let it. He was pushing it to its absolute limit, ignoring his health and safety just to land another hit. **"Ebony Machine!" **Kaos let one his punch shoot out like a rocket, smashing around the Eisen Clouds and finally findings it mark on Alexander's cheek. Alexander pushed through as he continued his haphazard charge, swatting Kaos' punch to the side with one of his own and finally burrowing his way into Kaos' chest, super-close combat…Alexander's speciality.

"**Twin Mallets!" **Alexander fired two concise punches. One was an angled left low blow which found its mark right underneath Kaos' arm, the other was a powerful right punch that smashed into Kaos' chest forcing the maniac to take a step back. Alexander lifted his leg up next readying the next powerful killing blow, "**Damascus Kick!"**

"**Damascus Kick!" **Kaos twisted around and brought his own leg upwards meeting with Alexander's powerful kick in the middle. It was obvious whose kick was stronger from the looks on their faces. Kaos' face looked to be suffering from a massive strain. Alexander on the other hand looked more tired than anything. His stamina was almost out. Kaos just needed to land one good punch and luckily for him he had saved his best one for last! "**Ebony-" **Kaos shouted, bringing his fist back to rest behind him, readying for the greatest punch of the fight. The Impact Dial clicked on, ready to exert another powerful blow. The Eisen Dial leaked out the iron clouds which coated his gauntlet in a spiked armor. The Heat Dial soon turned the power up another notch by turning the iron spikes into burning iron spikes. Finally, the last part of Kaos' true ultimate punch was the Jet Dial which was suddenly turned on, turning the punch into something of true frightening proportions, **"Destruction!" **The punch burst through the air, the power exceeding that of any cannon. It seemed strong enough to rip through any building be it made of wood or steel! Even the air it hit seemed to have cracked beneath its force! However, regardless of how strong a punch is…it had to hit to be effective.

Alexander swung in, bringing his body just below the devastating punch and then straight forward, butting one shoulder right up against Kaos' body. Kaos was still in mid-motion for his swing, his entire body was extended, he couldn't move backwards at all, his entire body was supporting this one punch. He had one option. Kaos gritted his teeth and braced himself, ready to take whatever punch his hero could dish out. He'd take it and then hit him again! Ebony Destruction wasn't a one-shot attack, he could use it as many times as he needed to! And he would if it meant destroying Alexander! If it meant destroying Alexander, he'd put his life on the line. He'd take any punch or blow Alexander could dish out and stay standing…

Only it wasn't just any blow…it was seven. **"Ferric Fist! Twin Mallets! Full-Metal Hammer Heel! Damascus Kick! Full Iron Impact! Orichalcum Meteor!" **Alexander's first punch was a simple one, ripping into Kaos' side with all of his power. From there the punches increased in speed and ferocity. The next two came in at practically the same time, snapping into Kaos head from the right and then immediately again from the left, causing Kaos' head to snap wildly from one side to the other as if it wasn't even attached to his shoulders. Alexander twisted around, shifting his weight from his feet and onto his hands, inverting his entire body and sending a smashing kick straight to the side of Kaos' neck. Alexander continued this motion slamming one foot onto the ground and then twisting around, bringing his next foot around and into Kaos' shoulder. Quickly bracing himself, Alexander slammed his foot down and propelled his fist forward in the same instant, bringing a perfect left hook straight the air, cutting Kaos down to size in one shot. And that was only the sixth blow. Alexander pivoted around, shifting his body around, he brought all of the momentum from all of those attacks behind this next one. The power shot up his back, arching in from his feet, bursting through his spine, shooting through his arm, and exploding out of his right fist and into Kaos' skull. Alexander's punch rocketed downwards, sending Kaos straight down and into the ground…right where he belonged.

Alexander was out of it. His energy had all been used up a few seconds of rest had granted him only enough power to do that. He couldn't feel his body any more, his arms tired out and his shoulders sagging, collapsing downwards, he could no longer even summon the strength to raise them up. He stumbled back, unsure if he would even be able to remain standing. Luckily Dale was there, scooping up from below, acting as a third, stronger leg for Alexander, to ensure he didn't fall. While Alexander may be able to remain standing for a second longer, the question was…would Kaos be able to get back up?

And it looked like the answer was 'yes'. Kaos was muttering to himself, dragging his body up, slumping up at first it was just his upper body, heaving it into the air and taking a breath of the fresh air. Huffing and puffing Kaos managed to swing one leg out and placed both of his hands onto it, pushing himself up using it as a means of support. He was now one knee, Kaos struggled with it, but soon his other leg followed suit and Kaos was now on his own two feet. Kaos flung his hands into the air at the sight of his foe, "I won! I won!" Kaos shouted deliriously, all common sense and all common decency flying right out the window. Kaos spread his arms wide in victory, shouting something about winning, but soon it turned to complete gibberish. Kaos' mouth bulged as if filling up on his own hot air until finally it had been filled too much! It burst, his lips separating and sending a stream of red blood right out of his mouth, filling the air with its pungent stench. Kaos' eyes rolled back, all signs of life leaving them. Kaos doubled over, fumbling for a second before making a big splash. Kaos had fallen over the dock and into the water…a Devil Fruit user's worse nightmare.

Alexander wanted to claim victory, pump his arms up with the same confidence and conviction as Kaos did…but he was just too dang tired…perhaps…perhaps it was time to take a nap.

* * *

><p>And Alexander lives! Claiming his victory in a short amount of time with Kaos' own victory seeming close. Well, next chapter is chapter 100...I hope ya'll are ready for it! Also, rest be assured this is not the last time you see either Kaos or Dale, both are just pawns in a much bigger plot that circles the chaos and corruption that circle the Marines everyday.<p> 


	100. Chapter 100 Promotions

**Promotions**

Alexander awoke with a start. He rolled over and immediately regretted it, he straightened his back out and laid back down, staring at the bright Flash Dial-created lights that hung over his head. He mumbled something beneath his breath, stretching out with one arm and tried to make a groggy grab for the calendar. He grunted as pain from his fight still lingered and just moving his shoulder seemed to bring it back. He hastily grabbed the calendar and dragged onto his bed. Four days…Alexander sighed and tossed the calendar to the side. He suppose it was to be expected…he was knocked into a ship…so four days of straight sleep wasn't bad. He stirred from his bed and supposed he should go check on everyone else.

For some reason he didn't feel all too worried about his crew. Dale was there to drag them out of the water, so they shouldn't have drowned. They should've made it back here, besides Alexander was pretty sure the water never even reached up to their necks. Alexander twisted around and jumped up, sliding his feet into a some fluffy slipper laying by his bed side, no doubt hospital issued. He looked around for a bit, before finding his lucky cap, though. He didn't have any strong emotional bonds to his hat, but liked it all the same. Once he was properly attired with fuzzy slippers and his hat. He set off for the door. He didn't quite know where the others would be, but since he was in the infirmary he could probably find Dale.

Who he found wasn't Dale…he didn't even know that she was on the island. Mary Fresh, Veri Fresh's daughter, was standing in front of him. She had a distracted look on her face even as she turned to face Alexander. "Oh, it is you," she said, her voice sounding slightly deflated. Alexander looked away, honestly he wasn't too thrilled about this surprise meeting either. He knew a verbal berating was probably at hand and was inclined to just sit there and weather the blows. Mary Fresh sighed for a second, turning away she said, "come on." 'Come on to where?' wondered Alexander he could only assume to her dungeon beneath the Marine Base where she can skin him alive and eat him. "Let's go see the rest of your crew," Mary Fresh finally explained, which seemed to put Alexander into a little bit of better spirits. He lowered his head, slightly ashamed at himself for thinking so little of her, she was still the Vice Admiral. In other words, she was still a Marine.

"I should warn you," continued Mary Fresh, "while you crew is safe and sound, maybe a little sick from being dipped in the cold harbor waters for so long…Olivia, your sister, correct?" Alexander nodded, only half conscious to what she had just said. He had almost forgotten about her. He remembered she was beneath dock, but that was it. She had been dumped into the water, for a normal Devil Fruit user there were few things that were worse…and since she was only alive because of her Devil Fruit…there probably was nothing worse. "She's unconscious, in a near comatose like state. We assume it is because of her reliance on her Devil Fruit to give her life. If Void Furrow was still alive we would assume that he could revive her, however, he's gone…as well as the majority of anybody who was working for that project thanks to the man you just defeated."

Alexander nodded…it was shocking to see what kind of chain reaction would come about. Alexander had to wonder if this was another part of Kaos' plan as well. It seemed like he had been wasting so much time working on it that he probably would've thought of something like this. Alexander shook his head and tried to think of someone else who had been working back then, but he didn't spend too much time with the other researchers…most of his time was spent with Olivia, Kaos, Void, or Veri Fresh. He suppose in a way, Kaos was rather stupid for trying to exact revenge on him by going after those people. Alexander looked up at the door Mary had stopped in front of. Alexander was once again standing in front of a hospital door…he had no room to talk…he was knocked out cold again for an extended period of time. His friends were at least eating breakfast the next morning… "I missed out on twelve meals!" shouted Alexander, which earned him a swift slap to the back of the head from Mary. It seemed somehow weaker though as if she didn't put her all into it.

"Get your head together," she commanded, however, even her usual commanding tone was gone. She seemed to be almost weaker somehow as she stood in front of the door to the hospital. Alexander shrugged it off, some people just weren't good in hospitals he assumed. Besides he wasn't really here for her. He was just coming here to see his crew.

Alexander unconsciously pulled his arm and fired a punch, breaking the door down with a single punch, "oops…I guess that kind of became a reflex." Alexander laughed as he looked at the door he had just knocked down and to the floor.

"Hey, ruining people's things is my job!" shouted Specter rushing up to his captain and shoving his Pop Grenade launcher into Alexander's head. "See?" Specter swung his launcher around and pulled the trigger, firing a grenade at the wall and blowing it up. "We can't have to irresponsible people on the crew, can we?"

"You both should be responsible!" shouted Reggie taking her frying pan and swatting both of them aside the back of their heads. She sighed and breathed out a quiet voice. "But still…" she said rubbing her hand through her hair, "it is nice to see you awake again, captain." Alexander flashed her a thumbs-up side, but suddenly he started to waver and began to tip to one side, obviously still out of energy.

"Back at ya!" shouted Alexander, "I'm glad to be awake! Oh," Alexander suddenly felt a little guilty as he remembered there was someone who couldn't say that and she was lying right there. Alexander walked forward, he didn't know if it was because he was so tired or for another reason entirely, but his footsteps felt heavy. He remembered getting pounded on by Seth and by Kaos, both of those fights seemed to drag for a century, but this moment seemed to take even longer. He walked over to the bed and basically collapsed, his feet giving out beneath him. His knees crashed to the ground and he looked over the bed at her. Everybody called her an 'angel' her looks and her behavior were befitting that name. Alexander was a hammer, Kaos was a blade, but Olivia was always called an angel and looking at her with her eyes closed and her hands clasped on her chest…Alexander had to agree with those words. She really looked like one. She looked peaceful, serene…innocent. It wasn't her fault. She shouldn't have died. Kaos was going after him, not her. She just got in the way.

"It happens all the time," Specter said sitting down in a nearby chair. "It happens all the time." He was trying to think of something, something to ease the load on Alexander's shoulders, after all, he knew what he was thinking. This wasn't just some stray villain causing havoc, it someone who was specifically chasing after him. They wanted him dead and decided to take Olivia's life instead. Specter heard things like this specifically destroy someone's mind…he heard people doing crazy things after something like this and knowing Alexander, he probably accept full responsibility as well as the blame. What he needed was some kind words and friendship!

"Idiot," shouted Mary giving Alexander a powerful slap. "You are a Marine. Accepting responsibility for a criminal's behavior is stupid. It is our job to capture the criminals and make them accept responsibility for their own actions. That is our duty. If you are going to be accepting anything around here, accept that. Accept your duty as a Marine." Mary Fresh turned around and began to head for the door, "surely even you noticed something is wrong. Follow me, if you truly wish to accept either responsibility or your duty then you need to see someone."

Alexander lifted his head up. He did knock Kaos down and into the ocean…if they had dredged the lake they probably have him in custody, he's probably a little damaged like Olivia, but he probably spent less time in the water than her. In other words…he may be awake. Alexander stood up, straightening his back out and smiled. If he was awake…Alexander would be sure to fix that problem. Alexander would knock him out once more. Alexander quickly rushed up to Mary Fresh eager to see the man who had caused so much trouble.

"I don't think Alexander is thinking things through clearly," brought up Specter, kicking his head back and looking up to the ceiling. He lowered his Pop Grenade Launcher and let it rest on the floor for a few seconds. "He doesn't seem all too up for accepting facts right now." Specter reclined back in his chair and slumped down for a second. Truth was he was still sore as well, Kaos did a good number on him…besides he was still in danger from Veri Fresh's attack on him earlier that same day. Still he suppose in the end he couldn't be too upset at that freak.

"Yeah," Reggie said, turning around and trying to attend to Olivia's wounds as best as she could, "he didn't even notice that our crew was down one member." Rina and her little dog were nowhere to be seen within the small confides of the room and truth be told, they weren't even on the island any more. "The surprise is definitely not what he's expecting it to be."

Nonetheless, oblivious to this fact Alexander continued behind Mary Fresh, eager to smash his hands into the face of his enemy one last time. He had promised Kaos that he would break all of his bones, and he hadn't completed that promise yet. Alexander's would be happy to get just five minutes alone with that punk. He stayed a few feet behind Mary Fresh all the way, he didn't know his way around this Marine Base very well, so he needed a guide and Mary Fresh seemed to know her way around somehow. She had apparently walked this path before between the hospital and wherever they were headed, quite a few times.

"I came and checked up on you and your crew," said Mary Fresh, breaking the silence and snapping Alexander's head upwards and looking her in the eye. "You are after all in my jurisdiction." Technically, Alexander was in Veri Fresh's jurisdiction, but he didn't particularly want to open his mouth…he'd probably just put his foot in it anyways. "I should tell you the good news first. Two promotions were handed out due to your battle." Alexander piqued right up at that. Promotion? That sounded like a good thing, he supposed they were probably for him and Dale. The rest of his crew didn't do too much, plus Dale deserved it for his courage! He felt happy for the little guy! "The promotions were for you and Veri Fresh." Alexander paused for a second, his feet stopping in their tracks.

"That's awesome!" Alexander threw his arms up into the air. He had been under Veri Fresh's wing for so long now! Veri Fresh was a Rear Admiral ever since Alexander was born! It was amazing! He'd be a Vice Admiral finally! The guy definitely deserved it! More importantly than that though was Alexander's own promotion, but nonetheless the next time he saw Veri Fresh he would have to say his congratulations. He suppose Veri Fresh would be moving on, though…no sense in two Vice Admirals being at the same Marine Base…this may be the last time he ever saw Veri Fresh. He'd have to say thanks as well. Thank him for always helping him out. If it wasn't for him Alexander would probably have been kicked out of the Marines ages ago. "I bet this is pretty big news for your family! Two Vice Admirals! But I guess he's probably be going to the Grand Line or the New World for a new assignment, huh?"

"You do know there is two reasons a Marine can be promoted, right?" questioned Mary Fresh as she stopped outside another door, allowing Alexander to go in first. Alexander shrugged and pushed the door open. "The first is exceptional services, completing their duty regardless of how difficult…the second is," Alexander paused, his feet stopping in the doorway as he looked in. No…no…no! Alexander swerved around, twisting and meeting Mary Fresh face-to-face. "The second reason is…if they died in the line of duty."

The room was prepared for a funeral. Hundreds of chairs were stacked around, beautiful purple flowers were arranged at the ends of each and every bench. Alexander was standing in the middle of a gorgeous red carpet stretching all the way down the hall to way a coffin laid. There was a small picture up next to it, a picture with Veri Fresh's smiling face on it. "Tomorrow we will be holding the funeral services for the Admiral, Veri Fresh."

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><p>Dang! Despite planning to do this ever since Iron Hammer's inception I was still hesitating after reading all of those reviews. Veri Fresh was created pretty much solely for this moment. Oh, well, ignoring that we do learn a few new things. One) Alexander is now a commodore. 2) Olivia is knocked unconscious and is in a coma. 3) Veri Fresh is dead. 4) Rina is missing. Anyways, that was Chapter 100 for you!<p> 


	101. Chapter 101 Buried

**Buried**

Alexander felt in awe at the funeral. He never felt like Veri Fresh was a very popular man and yet right here, right now there had to at least a hundred men gathered around to pay their respect to the man. Not to mention another fifty waiting outside and even more still pouring in. Veri Fresh was a Rear Admiral, a Marine who had been in the service for several years…possibly even several decades. It was only fitting that a man like that, who had put his life on the line so many times for so many strangers, would receive such a grand ceremony. Alexander remained quiet in the front row of the ceremony, listening in to each and every story as the people came up. The stand was practically flooded with men, all eager to tell the great stories they had had with the man. Alexander still hadn't come to terms with it.

Veri Fresh had been promoted a whole two ranks upon death. Veri Fresh may have been lacking the ability to be promoted during life, but due to the immense amount of service and work he had provided the Marines during his lifetime…which turned out to actually be nearly 40 years of hard work, they had seen no reason not to promote him…honestly it was more shocking that they hadn't promoted him to Fleet Admiral while they were at it. Alexander supposed the promotion meant very little to Veri Fresh though and even less to his family. Alexander turned around and looked at the family members, Mary Fresh and her mother. Veri Fresh's mother and father had already died, but he had two close family members in attendance as well as some cousins. Alexander racked his fingers, digging his nails into his own chair as he tried to stay calm and strong, something a man of his rank should be. Even though Veri Fresh never quite gave off that aura. Alexander had thought several times about getting up and telling them the story about how he met Veri Fresh, however, Alexander had a hard time putting their relationship into words. He had always thought of Veri Fresh as his superior, a workmate and nothing more. However, you didn't normally shed this many tears for a workmate's death.

Finally Alexander decided to do it. He stood up from his seat and took his place at the podium…a moment of silence washed over the room. Alexander was the last known person to be seen with Veri Fresh, everybody except for Alexander didn't know about the man in the hazmat suit. They all waited to hear what Veri Fresh's last words were. "There are very few words to describe a man like Veri Fresh." Alexander began with the truth, something he knew nobody could argue with. Veri Fresh was eccentric to say the least. "He was known throughout the civilian community as a hero, throughout the criminal one as a monster, and in the Marine community as a mentor. He had taken many Marines under his wings during his incredibly long stay as a Marine officer, myself included." Alexander stirred a bit as he thought about that. Workmate wasn't right and now that he thought about it…mentor didn't seem the right word to describe Veri Fresh either. "He is one of the first people I can remember and the very first to ever offer me even a hint of kindness. I remember failing my mission and not getting chewed out for some reason…at first I thought he was just trying to get me to decide on my punishment myself and then I realized Veri Fresh wasn't a man to punish others, he loved rewarding others and took every chance he had to do so." One of the earlier speeches had said that a test of a man is who he treats those under him, Alexander smiled at the thought, Veri Fresh must've been the best kind of man there was.

"I said that Veri Fresh has been called a hero, monster, and mentor," Alexander continued, finally putting the truth together. "However, in my opinion, Veri Fresh was more than that. He never acted like any of those. He was always too happy, too willing to help, too much of a good guy." Alexander paused, taking a moment to think this next line through, "To me, I believe that Veri Fresh was more of a father. And to me, a man without one, I believe he was the best surrogate father anyone could ever have asked for." Alexander calmly turned away and took his seat. Specter slapped him on the back and gave him a thumbs-up.

The rest of the ceremony went on without a hitch. Alexander had sat through the entire thing in a near daze-like state. People had come up and talked to, some of them joking with him about Veri Fresh's actions, others just came up to agree with him. Veri Fresh was a great man and if you chose to believe other people's speeches…he still was. They had fed the sappy line of 'he lives on through all of us' to the crowd and, as much as Alexander hated the thought, but he realized that was something Veri Fresh would've said so maybe there was a hint of truth to it.

Alexander hung around, waiting by the door for the next few hours, watching as more and more people poured into the room to say their respects. He didn't feel like moving yet…if Veri Fresh really did live on in all of these people…Alexander wanted to hang out here with them for a little while longer. Suddenly somebody came up and approached Alexander. It was a beautiful looking woman. She had an hourglass shape and was a few inches shorter than 6 feet tall. Her hair shimmered like gold and her emerald eyes shone beneath it like precious gems. "I'm Beth. I knew Veri Fresh for a long time, he's often talked about you, Alexander."

Alexander paused for a second. The girl looked to be sixteen years old. How long had she known Veri Fresh for then? And Alexander was only actually with Veri Fresh for at most three years and except for the past few months he hadn't spent any time actually working for him. Most of it was spent at the laboratory with Void, then training with his teacher, finally the Marine Academy. He supposed Veri Fresh was the kind of guy to talk about him even if he didn't know how his training was done. "It is a pleasure to meet you," responded Alexander, extending a hand to his latest conversation partner. "Uh, Beth?" Alexander quickly filled in her name with a bit of uneasiness to it. Usually at funerals the opening line was something like Veri Fresh was a cool person, this time it was more like she wanted to know more about him.

"I hope we will work well together from now on," she said with a beaming smile. Alexander paused unsure of how to take this approach.

"Uh, sure, and how exactly are we going to be working together?" asked Alexander, wondering if this girl was going to be his new boss now that Veri Fresh was gone. Or was he getting assigned a new babysitter since the Kaos act. If anything Alexander was fairly certain he had proved to his superiors that he did not need a babysitter.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Beth, staring straight at Alexander, her friendly smile seeming to vanish. Alexander couldn't help, but feel as if he was a little bit on the spot talking to this girl. She didn't seem like she was acting one-hundred percent herself…it was almost as if she was lying straight to his face, but about what? She only told him her name. "I'm your new navigator, commander Beth awaiting orders." Alexander paused, unsure of how to address this new 'information'. Despite the vibe she was giving off, Alexander could just tell that she wasn't lying. She was being one hundred percent truthful about this…which, of course, just meant that somebody had told her wrong.

"I'm sorry," explained Alexander, suddenly acting sheepishly. He remembered when he was just starting out and some of the things other people had told him just to get him out of their hair. He supposed he felt sorry for the young girl, despite her young appearance the fact that she was already a Commander that was definitely proof of her hard work. "I already have a navigator, she's-" Alexander was suddenly cut off by Beth's own explanation.

"Lieutenant Rank, Miss Rina Mistukomi Chiran!" shouted back Beth with a booming smile. "I guess, you still didn't get the memo. I suppose it is to be expected with Veri Fresh's death and all, the paperwork probably hasn't even been finished filing. But as of three days ago she turned her papers in, sir." Beth lowered her head, knowing it probably wouldn't be easy for Alexander to hear the next few words. "She has resigned from the Marines."

"What!?" shouted Alexander, springing forward and slamming his hand into her chest and pushing her up against the wall. The look of sheer betrayal was obvious on Alexander's face as he stared at Beth. "What did you just say?" Alexander grunted out those words as he stared Beth down. Despite being faced with a man of a few ranks higher, Beth didn't seem worried. She seemed calm and composed, despite looking down a cannon's barrel. Alexander looked around him and saw the entire group of funeral goers turning around and looking at him and Beth. Alexander let go of her and tugged at his shirt's collar. "Rina is our ship's navigator, not you or anyone else." Alexander turned away, beginning to take his leave.

Beth frowned, looking down to the ground and away from Alexander. This wasn't what she was expecting at all. She needed to be on Alexander's crew and fast. She wasn't about to let him slip away like this. She supposed she still had time to wait, it wasn't like he was going to be setting sail without a navigator. However, no matter what she would expose him. The truth about the Iron Hammer will be found out; she'd be willing to bet her life on it. Under no circumstances would she let Alexander leave this island without her.

Alexander quickly found Specter and Reggie, both of whom were on the ship, apparently awaiting their captain. They were planning on telling Alexander about Rina here and now, but the look on his face told them he already knew about it. "Get ready to set sail," Alexander said as he walked farther onto the ship and to the captain's room swinging the doors wide open. He immediately found the truth out there. All of Rina's books had been removed and the bed had been replaced. It wasn't just cleaned up…it had been completely replaced. A bed completely unsoiled by Hayate. Alexander put his hand on the bed and pushed it down. It was almost the exact same as the last one. He guessed Rina's last gift to him was to allow to sleep as the ship's captain. Reggie and Specter were right behind him.

"Where do you want us to set sail to?" asked Reggie and Specter as they walked up to Alexander. Unlike it mattered, without Rina none of them quite had the skills to go to any island of their choosing. They had to wait for the new navigator to get aboard for them to go anywhere. Nonetheless, they should hear Alexander's next goal. What their first mission would be without Rina, they stood there and listened with open ears…yet heavy hearts.

"Where else?" Alexander said, turning around and breezing past Specter and Reggie as he started for the deck once again to take the helm. "We're going after Rina. So let's set sail!" Ignoring the fact that he had no idea where she had set sail to and just expecting his crew to have the skills to catch her…and the fact that she would come back to them just because he asked her to.

"I'm sorry captain," said Specter lowering his head and taking out his Pop Grenade Launcher. "But that is one order I can't follow."

* * *

><p>With Rina gone, the crew has a new navigator, but from the looks of it Alexander isn't going to accept anyone, but Rina. However, Specter has drawn his weapon, stating with all of his heart that he cannot allow Alexander to continue. Why can't he? Does he know something that Alexander doesn't know? That we don't know?<p> 


	102. Chapter 102 Maybe Its Quitting Time

**Maybe Its Quitting Time**

Specter flipped the gun up and took a quick shot, sending one of his grenades flying forward and quickly causing Alexander to disappear into a giant ball of flames and smoke. "I'm sorry, captain, but that is one order I cannot follow." Specter quickly loaded another Pop Grenade into his launcher. "Originally I thought I would sit you down and have a nice chat and explain why we can't go after her, but then I realized something…you're not the kind of guy that would understand something from a nice chat…and I'm not the kind of guy who would have nice chat anyways! So I'll just have to blast the information into your iron skull!"

"What do you think you are doing, Specter?!" Reggie shouted. If he didn't want to handle the talk he could've just have left it to her instead of trying to blow up their captain! Was he insane? Wait…no need to answer that…he did just try to blow up their captain. That question just answered itself.

"Either help me beat some sense into his skull or stand back," said Specter as he took aim with his launcher once more into the thick smoke. "Can't you see he's going to fight back…and he's not going to hold back either." Alexander suddenly came charging out of the smoke, trying to get as close to Specter as possible. His weapon was designed for long distances if Alexander could close the distance there was no way for Specter to blow him away! Even if Specter did fire his weapon at such close range he wouldn't escape the damage completely and Alexander was willing to bet that he had a tougher body than his sniper did. He would bring him face-to-face and fight on even grounds. Alexander continued to rush in, but Specter pulled the trigger on his launcher once more. The small grenade came crashing in straight for him. Alexander quickly swung his weight around and brought his arm snapping out and into the small grenade sending it flying to the side. The grenade exploded as soon as his arm came into contact with it, but Alexander's body was saved from most of the damage.

"I hate to say it, captain, but I also thought about quitting," Specter lowered his grenade launcher for a second as he looked down at the floor. "The fact is the world is a vast place. Our past few missions have been failures as Marines it is a miracle we haven't fired." Alexander was finally in range, at such short distance firing off a grenade would cause Specter to get caught up in the explosion as well. Alexander wasn't about to back down now. Alexander readied one massive punch, throwing his arm behind his head for a wide swing. "However, if it was just that we would've been able to soldier on. The sad fact is…that wasn't what hurt us and our pride the most!" Specter swung his launcher in and fired a shot even at this close of a range, Specter wouldn't back down. He still remembered Rina's last words and how much they stung…truer words had never been spoken, hell, it was Specter's belief that truer words didn't even exist.

"_Please, don't let Alexander come after me," Rina had said, looking off into the far-off distance of the seas and straight at the setting sun on the horizon. Specter looked baffled, but he didn't know what to say, she was quitting? Even Reggie looked surprised. If any one of them had the most drive to become a Marine it was Rina. Specter had just joined where he could blow things up and call it justice, Reggie was following in her old man's footsteps, and Alexander was forced into. Rina was the one who had chosen this path and wanted to follow through with it. She was the one who desired justice the most and she was quitting? "I don't think I could say those words in front of Alexander. I don't think I could tell him that I'm quitting."_

The explosion engulfed both Alexander and Specter in a brilliant flash of light, forcing the two of them apart. Even Alexander's insane body and insane stamina couldn't withstand the force of a grenade. No matter how many times it took, Specter would stop Alexander in this stupid pursuit of Rina. He couldn't allow Rina to force herself to come back to this line of duty especially when Specter felt it himself. He felt the same shame and embarrassment Rina felt. "Don't you understand, Alexander?" shouted Specter quickly loading another two Pop Grenades into his launcher. Such an act would normally cut down on speed, range, and accuracy, but Specter knew he probably wouldn't even feel these shots. Specter knew the words about to come out of his mouth would probably hurt Alexander more. "Don't you understand? That you are the one who hurt us the most!" Specter let his two grenades fly alongside his biting words and watched as they exploded in Alexander's face. Specter didn't even wait for the smoke to dissipate before loading another grenade. Alexander wouldn't be done with just that one shot, he was too stubborn to fall to something as weak as that.

"Don't you understand?" asked Specter, biting back his own tears. "The shame and worthlessness you feel whenever somebody else has to save you. Whenever your best just isn't good enough!" Specter paused for a second and looked to the side, "you probably don't. That is what separates us from you. I wonder if it has something to do with you being a fake human." Those words didn't seem to come out with any particular vehemence, but they stung Alexander all the same. "When I first met you my base was being attacked by some run-of-the-mill mountain bandits and I couldn't do anything to stop them! Rina couldn't either! We bet our hopes on you to stop the ringleader! And you came through! At first we overjoyed, happy for you, before we realized that we did NOTHING! We didn't matter! All that mattered was our captain!" The smoke finally began to disappear and it revealed Alexander gearing up for another full charge. "Then on Reggie's island, perhaps you remember fighting Seth? Well, me, Rina, and Reggie, don't at all! We don't remember winning a real fight! We remember being blown to bits! We remember our failure to support you, we remember our failure at even successfully managing to defeat one guy! All three of us!" Alexander started his charge towards Specter, ready to land another punch. Specter didn't even bother to raise his gun this time. "Or on that last island, huh? You were injured badly and Rina tried for once to be the one to protect you! She had you sit out and desperately tried to handle the pirates by herself and keep you out of harm's way! However, in the end you still wound up protecting her!" Specter looked down at his gun, not daring to look Alexander in the eye. "And then this time around…we tried our best, we really did all of us against Kaos and yet look where we were! We were underneath a dock as hostages while we watched you fight! We were helpless! We were worthless!" Alexander was finally within punching range, he slammed his foot down and rotated around and sent a powerful punch aimed straight for Specter's jaw. "We lost Olivia, we lost Veri Fresh, we saw that being good, being great, still isn't good enough on the seas…we knew that since we were worthless we didn't stand a chance, we would only drag you down!" Alexander's punch sounded very loudly as his fist came into Specter's jaw causing him to flip over and land harshly on the ground.

Specter's vision blurred, but he wasn't focusing on what he could see right now…he was still thinking about Rina said.

"_I saw it for the first time…" Rina's voice wavered for a second as she looked out. "I never saw Alexander fight before. It seems like I was always preoccupied with being knocked out by Pura Pupuran, not fast enough to keep up with him, almost being killed in an explosion. I never saw him fight before." Rina's voice trailed off. "I realized that that was the first time I ever saw a true Marine." Specter suppose there was some truth to those words as well as the biting realization that that meant he was an unreachable star for all of them. A mark of a true genius resided in him. Some people would just say that you just had to train harder and longer, those people were fools. Alexander was a genius not only because he was born with natural boundless power, but because he worked harder and longer than anyone else. Even if they trained as hard as they could he would always stay ahead of them. He would always be trying to protect them._

Specter stood up, a slight dribble of blood leaked from his mouth as he shook his head, clearing his head of those thoughts. He had to focus on Alexander now. He had to let Alexander know that Rina didn't want to see him again. "I should just come out and say it. Rina hates you," Specter spat out the words along with some blood, "she's been training hard and long to become somebody who could stand on their own two feet and yet you are always stuck protecting her! You remind her that she is not a true Marine…you are the one making her feel worthless! And that is why she hates you!" Alexander shot around and let his leg accelerate forward. Most people would've referred to such speed, determination, and power as Alexander's top form. It was too bad that it was turned on one of his friends. Alexander's leg rang out as it buried itself deep within Specter's rib cage, forcing the gunslinger backwards, gasping for air for only a second before collapsing, the sour taste of his last words still on his tongue. However, as Specter fell he couldn't help but smile. At least now Rina wouldn't have to say how she felt to Alexander.

"We're setting sail," said Alexander turning away and heading up the stairs. His body was still sagging and heaving with pain from both his fight with Kaos and now his fight with Specter, Reggie found it amazing that he still had enough strength to stand nonetheless brave the seas. Reggie walked over to Specter and picked him up, hefting the defeated Gunslinger up and onto her shoulders and started to follow Alexander up.

"Where to?" she asked once more.

"Where else," Alexander repeated himself and immediately Reggie's heart sunk. Didn't Specter break through his thick skull? If even grenades couldn't do what in the world could? What could break through Alexander's skull? "We're going after Rina. So, set sail."

"Alexander!" shouted Reggie standing defiantly and letting Specter drop to the ground, sliding off of her shoulders with a heavy thud. "If you are going insist on going after Rina. Then I quit!" she planted her feet and let her own inclination be known. "It took Specter enough to say those words to you, if you are going to expect Rina to say them to you, you are an even stupider captain than I thought you were! So, I'm saying it right here and now if you plan to put Rina through that torture then I quit!" Alexander paused for a second and looked back over his shoulder and down at her. She curled her fists up and into tight balls. Alexander may be her friend, but so was Rina. She wouldn't allow him to drag her back here. If Rina wanted to come back, she would.

"No," Alexander said flatly. Reggie's eyes went wide.

"No, what?" she said, stomping her foot. "No, you won't go after Rina? No, I'm not going to stop you?" Alexander glared confidently over at Reggie, he wasn't going to move. "No what!?" she barked at him, demanding a more clarified answer.

"No." That same simple word. "You're not going to quit and neither is Rina," Alexander turned back around and headed up the stairs. "I'm stupid, stubborn, and all other things you wanna say about me. But I'm not turning my back on Rina, even if she asks me to! We're a crew! We sailed together and we worked together! So no matter what!" Alexander stomped his own foot down as if to accentuate his point. "No matter what I'm not turning my back on her!"

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><p>Yeah, the reason sounded a lot better until I read some of the reviews. But ultimately when you look back at how these past few arcs went for her none of them were really that good. Rina despite her best efforts got knocked out in the first arc and got sick, got imprisoned and nearly tortured by Dante, despite Alexander getting injured she still had to rely on him to save her in the end, and now...now she just found out she was more of a weakness to Alexander than a strength.<p> 


	103. Chapter 103 Building and Breaking Trust

**Building and Breaking Trust**

"What do you mean 'NO!'" screamed a Den-Den Mushi seated in the middle of the table in front of Alexander. Mary Fresh was seated across for him, the base's captain was currently excused from the room while she used it. Mary Fresh was a little skeptical at first, but then again Alexander was a big boy now. He may not know how to behave, but he knew what he wanted and that goes for something in this world…but still did he have to say it so plainly to a fellow Vice Admiral? "Do you not understand that this is a mission straight from the Marine Headquarters?"

"Do you not understand the word 'no'?" came Alexander's sharp remark. Mary Fresh couldn't help, but smirk at it. It was plain insubordination…but then again it wasn't directed at her so she'd let it slide. Besides Mary Fresh understood it crystal clear. The desire to get one's own crew back, right now she was faced with a similar problem, the desire to get someone back. So she just laid back in her chair and watched the show. "I am taking on any more of your stupid missions until I get my navigator!" Mary Fresh flinched, insubordination seemed like a pleasure compared to how Alexander was treating the man on the other land.

"Is Beth not there yet?" complained the Marine on the other side, "I could've sworn I gave her good directions on how to get there and after she practically begged to put on your crew. I suppose I can't have you sailing off without a navigator…" Mary Fresh raised an eyebrow, was Alexander actually going to win this argument.

"She's not my navigator," barked back Alexander, pounding the desk with his fist. Mary Fresh was just glad he seemed to have some restraint as he didn't break it for once. Still after surveying the islands for damage reports as well as expense reports, she couldn't imagine that one desk would make much of a difference. "My navigator is Rina Mitsukomi Chiran!" Alexander practically screamed the name into the Den-Den Mushi. Mary Fresh frowned, some people just didn't know when to give up. Was she going to have to get involved in this argument as well? She was, for the time being, his commanding officer. If she had to get involved then this mess would definitely turn into a fiasco. Besides she definitely wasn't in the mood to try to reel in Alexander.

"For the last time she has resigned!" shouted the Vice Admiral on the other side of the line. "If I issued a going away party for every Marine that has ever resigned I'd be broke! Just face the facts! You are getting a new navigator and that's final! You hear me!" Mary Fresh felt like she was watching two bulls painted red fight, neither side would ever back down and they would keep on charging again and again and again until eventually another red object came into view.

"And for the last time I'm not accepting it!" was Alexander's loud response. It was fairly certain that everyone in the entire Marine Base could hear the argument, possibly on the entire island with how loud they were being and it still didn't sound like an end was in sight despite the fact that it had been going on for about 25 minutes now. Perhaps Mary Fresh should order some tea while she waited. "Rina's my navigator and I'm not just going to let her quit! You hear me!?"

"And I'm saying she's done quit, DO YOU HEAR ME? YOUR SUPERIOR!?" responded the Vice Admiral barking into the phone with his loud voice. Mary Fresh flinched at this…these two lacked all sorts of class…in the end she felt the need to hit Alexander and remind him that he was a man of the law, but that meant she should hit the other Vice Admiral as well and that wasn't going to happen, so she just let the two bulls clash again.

"And I said-" began Alexander before he was swiftly kicked in the side of the face and sent hurtling down to the ground, by Mary Fresh's boot heel as she stepped up. Boys…always acting like children. Mary Fresh took a deep breath.

"Technically, sir," said Mary Fresh as she moved over to her side of the desk, taking the speaker with her as she opened up one of the drawers. "The papers were never completely filed. You understand, right? With the Rear Admiral's death everything around here just got kind of piled up and things got re-arranged." Suddenly Mary Fresh produced a small file from her drawer and showed it to Alexander. It contained an Order of Resignation from Rina! She had it right there in her hand. Was she going to submit it now? "And I'm in no mood to be dealing with such things as a matter of fact this entire conversation is driving me bonkers. I have left it with one of my best of secretaries to file it, but it could still be awhile before it gets filed due to all the commotion. As a matter of fact," said Mary Fresh as she put the file on the desk and then slowly slid it over to the side, "it could be weeks until it gets done." With one swift move Mary Fresh flipped the paper off of the desk and let it fall into the trash can below, disappearing into a mess of other paperwork and food napkins.

"Bu-but," began the other Vice Admiral, "that doesn't mean anything! It only means that you need to get your department together over there."

"My, my, aren't you awfully mean to somebody whose father just passed away," Mary Fresh said, extreme venom in her voice. "It was Veri Fresh's department not too long ago. And you expect everybody here to just put a hold on their grieving just so you can go on your ego trip?" Mary Fresh slammed her own hand onto the table. "I wasn't planning on it, but, you know what, everybody in my department, in Veri Fresh's department gets a mandatory four weeks leave of absence! They do not have to report to work at all for the next four weeks while they sort out their grievances. That, of course, includes me, includes my secretaries who are supposed to be filing the papers, and, of course, it includes Alexander, so he is pleased to do as he wishes!"

"Bu-but," stammered the Vice Admiral, not sure where to go from here. He couldn't just overrule a fellow Vice Admiral's decision, especially when it made sense. It is not like she is just taking a vacation because she feels like it…there's actually a good reason behind…four weeks is excessive, but still, "bu-but."

"Oh, would you look at the time," said Mary Fresh glancing down to an imaginary watch on her wrist, "it looks like my vacation just started. We can continue this conversation in four weeks, see ya!" Mary slammed the Den-Den Mushi's speaker down as if to exemplify her point. She turned to Alexander and suddenly Alexander felt the same insane pressure he usually felt when she was talking to him."Hear that, Alexander, you got four weeks and Rina's resignation still isn't filed yet, so if you can get her back here and ready to work by the end of that time period…she can come back to work and I'll just brush this all under the rug as if it never happened. And, even if you don't, I expect YOU back here by then!" Alexander nodded, knowing that such an act and such a treatment of a fellow Vice Admiral could get even Mary Fresh a demerit on her record. Alexander got up and rushed out, not wanting to waste a minute of this four week 'vacation'. Alexander stopped in the doorway and turned around to look back at Mary Fresh.

"Uh…I don't suppose you know where she went, do you?"

"Take this!" shouted Mary Fresh chucking a piece of paper at him, "all Marines are supposed to submit themselves to a vivre card once you enroll. When you reach captain rank you can have it burned or when you resign we are supposed to burn it for you. However, like I said the paperwork is still in the middle of being completed…so hers hasn't been burned yet. Ordinarily these are used to track you down if you've been taken hostage or at lost at sea, however, I suppose finding your friend qualifies as a valid excuse." Alexander bowed, politely, thanking her for being so helpful. "Oh, but take that Beth girl with you if you do decide to go after Rina. I don't need you getting lost at sea." Alexander looked away for a brief moment, an obvious upset look on his face. "THAT'S AN ORDER!" she barked loudly at him, which caused him to stand at attention before racing off.

"Shit," said Mary Fresh turning away and facing the window. "I think I finally see what you saw in that monkey, dad…however, he is still a monkey." However…Mary Fresh felt a little bad as she looked at the quickly disappearing ape. She still didn't tell him everything. There was a very specific reason as to why Beth was on his crew. And now that Mary Fresh finally felt a certain kinship with him, a certain trust building between them, she couldn't just break it in the same day.

(-With Alexander on the _One Eon_-)

Alexander, Specter, and Reggie had all gathered on top of their ship ready to set sail. Reggie and Specter were both doing it somewhat begrudgingly, but in the end they supposed that was why they joined this crew in the first place. Because Alexander was Alexander to a fault. He cared for his crew. And nothing would change that…not even his crew. Beth was along for the ride and despite Reggie's and Specter's acceptance of her, Alexander still didn't even bother to give her the time of day. However, it didn't look like it even bothered Beth, she still just stood there giving them directions with a happy look on her face.

She would expose Alexander, that was her goal. The fact that Alexander still didn't put two and two together only made her suspicions all the more true. He didn't feel the slight worry that the instant his babysitter disappeared another one didn't make themselves present? Especially after the recent events…if anything they just proved that these homunculi deserved to be on the seas. It just proved that Alexander may just have to be eliminated…and she would do it if she sensed even the slightest problem in him. She grabbed a hold of the two katanas at her waist, practically waiting for her chance.

"Hey!" shouted a voice from the docks. Alexander, Specter, and Reggie bolted to the side of the ship while Beth stayed where she was. The ship still needed to be finished being prepped, plus whoever it was couldn't be of any consequence to her. It was Dale! He was running down the docks as quickly as he could to catch up to the crew. "Hey! Alexander!" shouted Dale as he tried to run quicker to the crew, "I wanna save Olivia!" Alexander and the rest of the crew, looked a bit confused as to what that had to with them and why he was trying so hard to catch up to them. "I just can't do it as I am right now! I need to learn more, learn everything I can about medicine and the human body! I need to travel the seas, finish studying, and become the best doctor this world has ever seen! I want to be able to cure every disease so I can cure the one plaguing Olivia! What I'm trying to say is…"

"I think he's trying to say he wants to bang your sister," said Specter. A quick dual attack from both Alexander and Reggie to the back of his head nearly forced Specter down and off of the ship, crashing into the waves beneath them.

"I'm trying to say…let me be on your crew!" shouted Dale. "I want to be a brilliant doctor! I want to save Olivia! And I feel like if I was on your crew I could do both! Will you let me? Let me be your ship's doctor!" Alexander smiled. Lose one, gain another. Alexander turned to face Dale shooting him a thumbs-up.

* * *

><p>Ta-da! New chapter, ain't I awesome! I think this is the week I'm supposed to update. Honestly once every two weeks is very hard for me to keep track of, but I try (Plus I can't go once a week as that'll be WAY too much writing for me during school).<p>

Anyways, we get to see some more advancements. Alexander's crew is beginning to grow into a newer and better shape! They finally have someone who can heal each other! Not only that, but it seems like Mary Fresh has stepped up to the plate of helping the young captain make his name with the loss of Veri Fresh. But it seems like turbulent times still await our crew.


	104. Chapter 104 Sick

**Sick?**

Rina strolled through town, admittedly a little absent minded. Her thoughts were nowhere in particular, as a matter of fact, they were everywhere. Her head was basically spinning as she tried to find her way through the small crowded town. She had wanted to be a Marine for as far back as she could remember she remembered the helpful Marine who had saved after her ship had come under attack and ever since then…it has been her dream. She paused for a second, wondering if she had been wrong to leave Alexander behind and if she should've just stayed on the crew. She shook her head defiantly, true, she missed them already, each fun and happy in their own individual ways, but she knew that she couldn't stay with them for too much longer. Alexander was destined for bigger and better things…and she…and she just wasn't apparently.

It is completely normal to consider a change in one's vocation after something like that. The death of a superior as well as being taken hostage by the same people you were destined to stop. She had heard of some people having total breakdowns after that…she was lucky she had escaped with her insanity. She looked down at her one memory of the begotten past, Hayate, who yipped and barked happily at her heels. However, he ran a little slower today than usual, his wounds hadn't fully healed yet, but it was already obvious he would make a full recovery soon. "It is okay, Hayate," Rina said, her bright and confident smiling beaming, "we'll make our home here."

The town was small, but like all towns in the modern world it had a bustling harbor that eagerly greeted ships, especially Marine ships like the one Rina had arrived on. The crew had already left, but not after saying a tearful good-bye. Rina hadn't noticed it, but she had become rather popular amongst people. She supposed it was only natural being under a charismatic man like Veri Fresh and then constantly getting in trouble due to Alexander. It seemed like people knew her name rather well and very few of them would ever forget it. Of course, this just meant she would always be bothered whenever a Marine ship sailed in and the soldiers said hello to her…she'll always wonder if she made the right choice. Once more though, Rina decided she wouldn't worry about it. It was kind of the way of her old crew, to barge in headfirst and not think about the consequences. It was the same way with her when she was in charge for that one instant against Seiryu's crew. She had rushed in, setting up a haphazard meeting with them for their final showdown…was it insane, yes? But she supposed in that was the part that made it absolutely thrilling. Rina looked up at the sky and sighed. That was the most thrilling five to ten minutes of her life. And she'd never experience it again…she had given up that life. She crouched down and petted Hayate, scratching him behind the ears like he liked, "maybe we could join a merchant ship?" Her most marketable talent probably was her excellent navigational sense…so maybe a merchant ship wasn't a bad choice of vocation. She'd head down to the docks later today and look into it, until then though she had to find a place to rest. This would probably take a few days of looking into anyways.

However, as much as wanted to tell herself that her past life was and over and done with…there was still some nagging regrets in the back of her head. She never made it back to the Grand Line, she never took Kano down, she never got her hands back on her jewels, and…and she never said good-bye to Alexander. They were the regrets she would be carrying for the rest of her life, so she might as well get used to shouldering them. For some reason, despite this being her decision and her decision alone…Rina didn't walk with her head held as high as normal. Her face pivoted towards the ground, watching her own feet as she walked.

Rina paused for a second as the wind whipped around her. She turned outwards to face the sea. It seemed like there was a shift in the winds. Rina had been a navigator long enough to know to always pay attention to things like the weather, the change in winds as well as the rest of the air around this island made it evidently clear that a storm was coming. Any ships out on the seas around this island were in for some trouble.

(-With Alexander-)

The skies were dark and the waves were rough, each shot of water smashed into the hull of the ship and could nearly capsize it. The entire crew tried to maintain their balance, but it began to seem impossible they were yanked off of their feet time and time again as if the water was trying to knock them off and swallow them up, preventing them from their goal. Even Alexander, a man used to getting knocked around in fights, could barely hold on. Only one person on the entire crew seemed to have a good grasp of how to stay standing and that was Beth. The newbie who nobody had ever heard of before seemed perfectly at ease even amongst the rocking ship. It only seemed to further sow the seeds of disbelief in Alexander though. He knew instantly that she was holding something back. She can lie all she wanted, she wasn't no rookie out here. She stood there, braving the storm at its worse…and she never even stopped smiling.

"The sun is great today, isn't it?" she said, her face bound skywards. Her words seemed to do little to console Reggie, who was sliding around horribly only being out to sea three or four times so far. Specter slid about fairly awfully too, it was taking Alexander's whole concentration not to join them. The sea was a demon out tonight. Was it trying to prevent him from reaching Rina as well? Alexander slammed his foot down, nearly embedding it into the wooden deck as if to show his will. He turned around and tightened his grasp on the vivre card. He wouldn't let go of it. This was their last bet. Mary Fresh had probably broken protocol by giving this to him, she may have sacrificed her job right after losing her father just to make sure he found Rina and talked to her. He wouldn't let something like that get blown away!

Specter came flying through the air and slamming into Alexander's back, forcing him forward another few inches, but Alexander still remained grounded tightly to his spot. "You got to do something about this weather!" shouted Alexander to Beth seemingly snapping her out of her daze. Beth looked down at him and smiled. He was doing surprisingly well, better than she had thought. He hadn't been in the Marines for very long, but he seemed to have good balance and already a note-worthy pair of sea legs. She'd have to remember this if she was truly going to expose him for what he was. She's rip the truth out from him if need be.

"What do you want me to do about the storm, captain?" she asked walking forward to the railing like it was completely natural and not constantly shifting beneath her feet with every crash of a wave, "I'm only human, you know?"

"If Rina was here she'd get rid of it!" shouted Alexander, claiming Rina was capable of the impossible. Beth just had to shrug and swear she'd meet this Rina person, if she really was capable of controlling the weather like Alexander believed she could than she would definitely be a note-worthy person. Suddenly another horrendous wave hit the ship that sent the entire crew up and off of their feet by a few inches. Alexander landed safely and tightened his grip on the small vivre card in his hand, refusing to let go. Even Beth was notably shaken up by the harsh thump. "At least do something!" Alexander commanded as their ship only seemed to swerve harshly to the side.

"Wait a second," said Beth taking a step back and looking around. "Where's Specter?" The entire crew paused, taking their attention off of themselves and looking around to spot their insane gunslinger…surprisingly he was nowhere to be seen.

(-Later that day-)

"You're lucky we managed to get a line out to you in time," said Reggie, looking over her sea-soaked ally. "I mean, who would've imagined that you had been blown off of the ship due to its fierce rocking. I mean, I was shocked to look over the ship's railing and see you floating out there! Lucky for you we had plenty of life rings to haul you back in with."

"I didn't fall," boasted Specter, puffing his soggy wet chest out, "I saw a big fish out there and I wanted to catch it. So I jumped off of the ship and tried to wrestle it back aboard with my bare hands." Reggie and Beth both lowered their heads, wishing he would just admit to falling off of the ship rather than putting on this stupid show. However, Alexander laughed and seemed to agree with him. It did sound like something someone as insane as Specter would try to pull off. Then again a lot of Specter's insanity was just rumors, but this definitely seemed to be the reason why rumors like those started.

"Anyways," shouted Alexander throwing the small vivre card up into the air and looked at it. "We'll just find our way to Rina and be out real fast. There's no need to even stay here for any period of time…unless they have good food here." Alexander laughed, but no one on the crew joined in. Specter and Reggie were still against being here in the first place and Beth didn't seem to be rather free and loose with the joking, she seemed to be keeping it all holed up while she examined her target.

"What are you planning to do anyways, captain?" asked Specter. Knowing Alexander it could go one of two ways. Option one is that Alexander charges in like bull and says something stupider…in which case Rina would leave. Option two is that Alexander would actually think about what he says…and says something stupid. No matter how Specter thought of it it seemed like Alexander would just say something stupid. Even if he did manage to say something smart and manage to take Rina's opinion into consideration…Rina didn't want to be on the crew. Alexander would either have to force her to join, completely disregarding her own feelings or he would just have to accept that she isn't coming back. No matter how Specter looked it, Alexander would be leaving a different man. Alexander was already a brilliant fighter…and a brilliant captain. With Veri Fresh's death and now Rina's leave if Alexander can stay focused and put himself back together he would mature a little more and as his crewmate as well as a Marine Specter wanted to see it. He wanted to see Alexander grow more and more. The rank of Lieutenant Commander wasn't good enough for this man. Specter doubted Alexander thought so…but Specter had thought this the moment he had laid eyes on him. Alexander was going to be an Admiral one day…maybe even greater.

"Achoo!" sneezed Alexander. Alexander took a small handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped away the snot. "Come on, crew!" he shouted as he lifted his arm up into the air. "We got to find Rina! And get our navigator back!" The rest of the crew obviously didn't share his enthusiasm. Their faces told their dislike for Alexander's 'plan' but nonetheless they shuffled their feet forward. They were his crew, no matter what, in the end, they would trust him…they just had to hope that in the end…Rina shared that trust.

I've been thinking about switching Iron Hammer's and Saga's update times as Iron Hammer has more backlog stored up. I'll probably post a poll of that idea soon. I would talk a little bit more, but I'm really not in the mood to do so nor do I have the time.


	105. Chapter 105 Cruel

**Cruel**

"Damn, weather," said a tall burly man as he reclined in the inn's first floor, which just so happened to have been mixed with a bar. 'Cheap drinks equals easy sleeps' was the motto of the small town's inn. And judging from how many of the bar's patron's were knocked out, lying across the tables snoring up a storm, it was apparently very true. "Now my ship can't go sailing until this mess clears up. If I had a proper navigator than I could at least set sail…but I just got to deal with some of these damn lackies! Who can't even do the simple jobs I assign them?" The man lifted his large fist up into the air, originally intending to smash the table to bits with one fell swoop, but he stopped when he noticed the waitress bringing him another glass of alcohol had arrived. He quickly shifted around and snatched the beer instead. "Woe is me!" He dropped his head straight onto the table.

"Um, excuse me, mister?" asked Rina as she walked over to meet with him. "Did I just hear you right? You said you were on a merchant ship, right? And that you need a navigator." Rina had gotten rid of her Marine symbols leaving her in her plain sailor uniform, but anybody looking at her would think she was just a sailor and not an enforcer of the law, which suited Rina just fine. If anybody found out she used to be a Marine there would without a doubt by questions cropping up.

The man pulled his head up and off of the desk, looking over his new conversation partner. The man leaned back, his ragged hand went to his orange well-kept beard and he scratched his chin through it. The man finally sighed and said, "I'm sorry, miss, I appreciate your interest in my unfilled position, but these are the seas we are talking about, I need a crew capable of fighting and handling themselves regardless of the situation. I'm afraid I can't take on a frail, fragile little girl like yourself." The man laughed and pulled his arm wiping the leftover beer from his beard. "I'm fine with putting my men into danger, hell, I expect them to jump at the chance. I've watched my men die before…but in the end I want a capable crew. I'm not going to hire you just cause you say you can do it."

"What if-" began Rina as she slipped one leg under the man's chair before twisting it around, she grabbed onto the man's arm and brought his body along with the chair sailing through the air until she managed to flip them all the way around. Finally she moved over and sat down on the upside-down chair completely pinning the man to the ground. "-I could show you that I am perfectly capable of defending myself?" asked Rina as she looked down at the man. She knew that merchant ships got attacked a lot by pirates, so she supposed the man had a right to question her abilities, but from the look on his face he wouldn't be doing that again.

The man burst into laughter. "Okay, okay, you got me missy," he said as admitted defeat, prompting Rina to get off of him. "You definitely got a good mark in on me." He stood up and extended a hand to her, "congratulations! You're hired! I'd be honored to have such a fierce woman on my crew like yourself. If you can navigate half as well as you can kick my butt then you are probably the best navigator in the whole wide world! Pack your things we'll sail out in two days when the storm is a little better." Rina nodded enthusiastically, happy that he had actually paid attention to the news. The people around town were saying they had storms that usually lasted one or two days. It was a simple weather phenomenon; they were close to the mountainous terrain separating the West Blue from the Grand Line as a result the winds would run into the mountains, whip around them and sent back over here at higher speeds. Along with the rain cliff effect mountains naturally provided storms would be horrible here. Rina nodded as she recalled all of her navigational training to what would cause such bad weather and there was a lot of things honestly the island's location was just horrible. They were lucky they didn't get hit by typhoons or hurricanes on a regular basis.

The bearded man chuckled as he stretched back in his chair, resting and relaxing thinking about his latest crewmember. Suddenly he let out a loud whistle that attracted about three other men in the bar to him, all of them part of his crew. "Did you hear that boys? I got us a nice little filly. She's going to be useful."

"I know did you she how strong she was?" asked one of the other men, "with her strength, your strength, and our First Mate's strength going to the Grand Line is possible! Just imagine all the treasure located over that ocean and all of it could ours! We'll be famous soon!"

"Tut-tut-tut," laughed the bearded man, straightening himself up. "She's not going to be joining our crew. We'll use her skills to get us off of this infernal island and then we'll just sell her to the highest bidder. She'll make a fairly good slave with that face. Gwe he he he!"

"Wha-why, captain?" asked the men, "She's strong, she's a navigator, and she's cute! She's the perfect addition to our crew! She'll be unbelievable combined with you! You two could conquer the Grand Line! Just imagine it would be almost like a power couple! Her beautiful body and skills and you, 'Skull Crusher' McPhinly!" The crew was obviously distressed with their captain's decision, they wanted the girl to be on their crew. It was almost an all-guy crew, so they needed a girl on their ship and fast! It wasn't so bad when they docked at an island…they could get all the girls they wanted just by showing their swords and pistols…but out at sea…it was lonely.

"Have you ever wondered why I'm captain and not you guys…or even my First Mate?" the crew immediately shook their heads. They knew why. Their captain was the strongest man out at sea nowadays. He didn't have an official bounty, but with his actions it was more of an oversight by the Marines. They couldn't be expected to apprehend every criminal, especially when their only crime was getting into vicious bar fights and supposed 'kidnappings' that were never proven. However, McPhinly's strength was real. "The reason why I'm captain isn't because I'm strong…I'm captain because I'm more experienced than anyone else here. That girl…the way she speaks, the way she fights, even the way she smells…it may have all of you boneheads falling at her feet…but me, I know better. That girl is a Marine officer, there's no way she would want to be on a pirate's ship." The crew gasped, she was a Marine?

"You heard her, right?" asked the captain staring down at his slowly emptying beer glass, "she asked me if I was on a 'merchant' ship. She thinks we are merchants merely going from town to town selling our wares. While it's not entirely untrue, but our wares tend to be things goody-two-shoes like her dislike…tell me what do we sell?"

"Anything we can steal!" shouted the three men, quietly as to not disturb the rest of the bar patrons. "Not limited to gold, family heirlooms, or…women…" The men suddenly blushed remembering the last slave they had sold off.

"Exactly, this girl gets a whiff of that she might try to arrest us before we can tie her up and sell her off," shouted the man. "So, go back to our ship and replace our pirate flag with one of the flags we stole from a merchant ship we recently attacked. Move all of our wares to the safe and put a lock on it…as for the women we kidnapped, bind them and gag them and do the same. Wait…it's an airtight safe, isn't it? If we leave them in there for too long they may just die of lack of oxygen…kill all the ugly ones and open the door for about ten minutes every three hours to replenish the air that should give them enough air to live off until the Marine girl joins them." The captain reclined backwards as he set his beer down, the waitress soon came back up to deliver another beer, this time her hands were shaking as if she had overheard them talking. "Take this chick down there too. Don't damage her uniform, though, some freaks will pay big money for a chick in a waitress uniform." The girl opened her mouth to scream, but the three men were much faster and stronger than her. They used to operations like this just finding a pretty woman and then kidnapping her in one swift move. It took absolute speed and confidence, not to mention timing. The instant she screamed was the same instant she needed to be killed. Luckily (or unluckily) they managed to clap their hands around her mouth before she uttered a sound. "It looks like we'll be able to have a two-fer-one sale soon!" The rest of his crew all joined in laughing. "A waitress and a Marine officer…what kind of low-life punk could ask for more? We'll make a killing!"

(-With Alexander-)

"Crap," moaned Alexander falling for probably the fifth time on just a simple leisurely stroll. The rest of the crew went over to help him up, but once again he waved them all off and got up on his own accord. He had just fallen down, he could get back up on his own. Still though he felt obscenely tired.

"You okay, captain?" asked Dale walking up to him, as the ship's only doctor he immediately felt worried that something else was wrong with Alexander. The fact of the matter was he was just coming off of a tough fight and even a superhuman should've stayed in bed for at least a week, however, this was Alexander and he immediately jumped to his feet eager to retrieve Rina. At first Dale wanted to brand this as a medical miracle that he was already up and running, but seeing as it was now…it was obvious that he was tired just from the way he was walking around. If they did run into a pirate…or just a stiff breeze it was possibly that Alexander would be knocked unconscious again. "I'm going to ask you again, but are you sure you don't want to just take it easy on the ship for awhile? I'm sure Specter, Reggie, Beth and I could handle Rina."

"No way!" shouted Alexander pumping his arm up and into air, showing off his strength. "I'm going to get Rina back by my own two hands. These two let her go last time, anyways!" Alexander pointed back at his two old crewmembers, who simply shrugged and let the comment run right off of their back. In their opinion they did the right thing. Captain or not, Alexander or not, they would still support Rina's decision. Of course, they assumed by the same token it was Alexander's decision on whether or not he was going to try and drag her back.

"I personally believe you are being cruel," said Beth looking away. If Rina came back then Beth would technically be dropped. Navigators were valuable on the high seas so she wouldn't be fired, but she would definitely be transferred to another ship. However, that wasn't what she was talking about, "did you forget about Veri Fresh's death already? It has got to be weighing heavily on her shoulders. For all you know this is just some temporary thing that she needs to work out by HERSELF, asking her to come back for your own selfishness is just cruel. She may return in a week once she's sorted her head out."

"You don't know Rina," were Alexander's only words as he walked forward. Rina wasn't someone who did too many spur of the moment decisions and even when she did she stuck by them. She made this hole herself and so regardless of what she thought she would lie in it. So, it was Alexander's job to get her out of it.

* * *

><p>The switch has officially happened. Iron Hammer will begin updating once every week while Saga once every two weeks. I can't think too much of this right now as I'm writing a paper while writing this so my current intellect is being cut in half and it was never that high to begin with.<p>

OH! Speaking of my low intellect I have been meaning to add this in to the past 10 or so chapters, but Beth is not my character (he says a month or two after her introduction). You guys know I always forget to give credit where credit is due. (It doesn't help when the creator doesn't review regularly, but I digress this is my fault.) Beth was created by OSR Fanatic. I apologize.


	106. Chapter 106 Slave Ship

**Slave Ship**

"Get down there!" shouted one of the pirates as he shoved another woman into the vault. Her arms completely tied up behind her body. She crashed into the ground and her chest heaved, she was sobbing uncontrollably from behind her gag. The pirated walked right up to her and swung his foot into her stomach causing her eyes to widen in pain and another muffled scream to come out of her. "Next time just do as I asked and maybe I wouldn't have to be so rough." He walked picked up the girl's head, tugging on her hair to do so to make sure she looked him in the eyes and could tell he was serious. "Now be quiet!" he shouted to her, causing her muffled screams to increase slightly before drowning out to quiet, helpless sobs. The pirate smacked his hands as he looked about him and took inventory. She was the last of them…besides their new navigator. There were eight women and over 50 million in gold. He assumed taking the women into account they probably clear 60 million…maybe more if the women could get their acts together.

"Pathetic snobs," muttered the pirate as he turned and headed out the door. He quickly closed the large metal gate behind him and waited for it to click shut. His tongue flopped out of his mouth like a depraved animal and he ran it over his lips as he thought about the women. It was obvious he had taken up this job because he liked it. Money and women, no man could ask for more. And, of course, with the captain and First Mate, they also had power. Three for three, like as a pirate was paradise!"

(-With Alexander-)

Alexander collapsed once more, falling into a puddle of mud. Alexander pounded the ground and felt the soft, wet soil give way beneath his fist. Specter laughed a bit at his predicament, he was apparently going to wind up meeting Rina in a mud soiled uniform. However, he didn't laugh for too long…after the first dozen or so times it just kind of strayed away from Specter's attention. Reggie and Beth barely paid him any attention, he still refused to accept their help up and would struggle onto his own two feet using his own power. Dale bombarded him with questions like he was a medicinal form, asking him all about his body, making sure no bruises appeared on him. He was acting overly doting on him, extreme worry was painted all over his face, but Alexander just waved him off and said he'd keep going.

"You know, what Alexander?" said Specter turning away from him, "I'm going to go searching on my own. If I find her I'll let you know, but right now you're kind of slowing me down." Specter quickly turned around and gave Alexander a wave good-bye. Alexander going too slow, besides Specter felt the need to warn Rina that he was on the island coming after her. He wasn't lying about Alexander slowing him down, the man just wasn't ready for action, but nothing they said seemed to be capable of deterring that man.

"Come to think of it," said Reggie as she posed thoughtfully, "we were running a bit low on cooking supplies. We didn't get proper time to stock up on the last island due to all the commotion. Plus since I thought Rina was leaving and didn't expect either Dale or Beth to join I didn't get enough food for five people for five people. It looks like I got to stock up again, captain." Alexander nodded. He understood and let both of his two men disappear. That just left him, Dale, and Beth. Both of whom seemed less than interested in re-recruiting Rina. After a few minutes of walking, Dale and Beth both left to go pursue something else. However, Alexander wasn't alone for long.

The old man from the bar, 'Skull Crusher' Phinly, was coming out of it. He had a golden bar in his hand, he had just held that small place up and was happily walking away with it as he began to leave. "Yo ho ho ho! We're going to go deliver Bink's Sake! A bottle of rum, lots of fun! Some other lyrics I don't remember cause I'm too drunk!" The man brought up another bottle of wine up to his lips and took a healthy swig from it. "Ah! The nectar of gods!" He was only a few feet away from Alexander, but as he didn't have a bounty and Alexander wasn't really dressed like a Marine, and you couldn't see it anyways, from his mud-covered clothing, neither man paid much attention to the other. Until the two collided with each other and both of them fell down.

"What the-" began Phinly looking around at himself and quickly searching through the mud to find the gold bar and beer he just dropped. He didn't pay much attention to Alexander, who was stumbling to his feet.

"Sorry, about that," muttered Alexander, still feeling a little woozy himself, he offered a hand down to Mc Phinly who still didn't seem to bother himself with Alexander. Alexander paused and bent down to help McPhinly find his gold bar. Finally Alexander found it. "Is this what you were looking for?" asked Alexander offering it over the devious pirate captain.

"Give it here or I'll kill ye!" shouted McPhinly jumping up onto his feet and rolling his coat sleeves back and getting ready for a brawl. However, seeing Alexander's confused face. He quickly coughed and tried to replace his words with, "I mean…uh, 'achoo'? I've been coming down with a cold lately. People keep saying that my sneezes sound like death threats! Got me into trouble before! Sorry if I scared you."

"Oh…" Alexander said pausing for a second as he looked over the golden brick in his hand and thought back on the man's words, "Well, I got a doctor on my crew. Maybe he could look you over and see if he could fix your cold or something." Alexander handed over the large golden brick over to the man, who snatched it up out of his hands quickly afraid it was going to be some kind of a trap. However, he quickly realized Alexander was being sincere.

"Oh…uh, thanks for the offer, but I got a doctor of my own," laughed McPhinley, "He says the best cure for a cold is Grandma's famous chicken noodle soup! As a matter of fact that's what the gold is for!" He was the sick person and yet he was going off to buy the ingredients…that sounded wrong. "Yup, my old Grandma bakes soup with gold melted right into it!" Alexander jumped back, that didn't sound healthy at all. Was this man drunk? "Anyways, I gotta get back can't keep my grandma waiting for too long." McPhinley ruffled his beard, tightened his grip on the gold and quickly ran off for his ship. He hadn't realized it from his clothes, but was it possible that guy was a Marine. He had a crew and he didn't sound or act like a pirate? He glanced over his shoulders at Alexander who was already beginning to disappear into the horizon. No, no marine would wear such muddy clothes…he was probably just a poor delusional homeless man…if he looked a little better he would've stolen him for selling to some rich ladies as a pool boy! However, it seemed that McPhinley's luck just wasn't that good.

Alexander scratched the back of his head and checked his clothing once more. His black uniform was definitely ruined now. He would need to change soon, come to think of it…it was kind of odd that he wore a black uniform from his old days. It seemed like as a Marine now he would wear a Marine uniform or something of the sort. However, Alexander's fashion crisis needed to be put on hold for another few days while until he found Rina. He highly doubted he would just run into her, he would probably have to track her down using his superior intellect! Alexander paused for a second and turned left and right, unsure of where to go. "HEY! RINA! IF YOU ARE AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE GIVE ME A HOLLER!" Alexander paused for a moment longer and looked around, straining to see if he could find her, but he didn't seem to be having much luck that part. "It looks like I have my work cut out for me."

Alexander stretched out taking a deep breath and looking over his shoulder, maybe he should've asked Mr. Sick if he had seen her anywhere?

McPhinly smiled as he browsed his wares one last time throwing the gold brick down at the door and immediately perusing around the women. "I know a lot of our customers don't like used goods, but it just seems like such a shame, don't you agree boys?" he asked, revealing a sickening smile as he looked back to the three men he had with him. They were different men than he had with him in the bar, meaning he had a decent sized crew. "I mean a test run would be good, right? We just wanted to make sure we are providing the highest quality goods, right?" The captain bent down a little lower, grasping one of the girl's chin and running his fingers through her ebony hair. However, he sighed and dropped her, letting her fall back to the ground and into a bundle, her eyes wide with fear. The captain's interest quickly shifted. While he liked women, his love of money trumped all. "Has anybody seen my First Mate anywhere?"

"Last I checked he was still up in the crow's nest, sir!" shouted one of the pirates. The captain moaned and walked past the man who spoke up, heading for the deck. The First Mate…was actually the third person he had recruited, but in the end when the other two met their unfortunate demises…this man was the cause of them. He had killed the other two and proved himself to be a more than capable person in combat…and in money making.

"Hey, First Mate! Anything interesting?" shouted the captain, his voice booming up the mast to the crow's nest. The First Mate picked himself up and jumped down from the crow's nest. His body smashed into the ship, but neither him nor the ship were noticeably damaged. The First Mate looked over to his captain. The First Mate had slick black hair that was wild and stretched out in all direction, completely unruly. He had a thick bottom lip, but stiff upper one. He didn't seem all too worried about his appearance, wearing some of the most torn up clothing imaginable. However, nobody would ever disrespect him. The man had a deadly air about him as if challenging anyone with enough guts to do so to die. He wore a pair of shutter framed glasses and didn't seem interested in looking the captain in the eye, his head constantly swiveled to the right.

"A Marine ship is anchored on the island now," the First Mate said suddenly nodding his head in one direction before returning it to its right most position. "I'm not necessarily worried. Five people, two women and three men disembarked at precisely 4 o' clock this evening. They walked about three miles inland before splitting up into five distinct search parties. And you ran into one of them."

McPhinley's eyes popped up at that note, "I ran into a Marine." He began to search his brain for anyone standing out. "Interesting," he said turning away and moving down to the ship's board, allowing the rain to come down and coat his clothes. "It looks like I'll actually be able to get some exercise in…prepare the sails. We'll set sail first thing tomorrow morning with our new navigator."

"What are we running away?" asked the First Mate jumping forward and wrapping his hand around the captain's neck. "I didn't become a pirate to run at the first sight of Marines!"

"I know," said the topmost pirate, patting his crewmember's hand until he loosened it. "But we can't raise a fuss or else our new navigator may just leave us and we need her skills to get off of this island, money comes before women and women come before fighting. I'm sorry, but I'm a business man first, a lover second, and a pirate third." The First Mate grumbled something below his breath and clenched the sword at his waist.

"Don't worry I won't raise a fuss," he muttered, jumping off of the rails of the ship. "I'll make sure to kill them reeeaaaalllll quiet like."

"Of course, you will," said the captain turning his back on him and heading inside. "That's why I hired you." His First Mate was an expert swordsman, a man who had been in thirty-one duels to the death…and the fact that he is still alive speaks more to his strength than he ever could. Still though if he wasn't back when they set sail he would have no choice, but to leave him behind. Business man first, pirate third, and a friend last.

**Slayer**

TWO PAPERS DOWN! What's left? Oh, another paper...and two powerpoints...and a blog...too much homework! I need to take an art class again. Or a creative writing class and just submit these stories to them. Anyways, more trouble is approaching the crew! And thus begins the official updates of Iron Hammer! It is finally its time!

I should probably point out that this arc was designed to be something quick so don't expect too much build-up. I decided I'd try my hand at a quick arc (I believe under 20 chapters, maybe even only like 10), it didn't work out too well as I still prefer bigger arcs.


	107. Chapter 107 Slayer

**Slayer**

"**One Step!" **shouted the First Mate of McPhinley's crew as he made one swift step forward carrying him to the target and immediately releasing a powerful sideways slash sideways and through the post in his way. **"Walking Cut!" **The First Mate quickly slid his sword back in its sheath. His cut was perfectly horizontal. It was like a magic trick where the magician pulled a sheet out from underneath a tower of glass and the glass didn't fall. The large post didn't even budge an inch, it was cut so fine and clean that if it had been a person there wouldn't even be a drop of blood. That was just how expertly his cut had been made. "Good," he said looking down at his sword and feeling the very tip of the hilt rub against the palm of his hand, soothing him. "It looks like I'm in my best form tonight. Things are going to get wild!"

He paused as he watched a group of girls walk by him, giggling their little heads off. He stopped in his tracks and watched them walk by, their little butts barely hidden beneath their skirts, their shoes adding like four to five inches to their overall height, and a strong stench of roses filling the air from their perfume. He slid back and looked on; perhaps another test run was in order. He did say there were five Marines on this island now….he only had one test run so far. It seemed unfair on his part. These girls would make for a fine practice. He leaned back, placing all of his weight on his back foot and sticking out his front leg all the way so it was a straight line to the ground at about a 45 degree angle with it. He whipped his sword back to his side and tightened his focus. One shot, four kills…he needed to wait until the moment was right. **"Six Steps! Quick Maul!" **The First Mate suddenly shot forward, his blood lust pouring out of him in that instant as he quickly covered the distance between him and the girls. It was just six steps away, but he was stopped before he could complete the last two. Beth had intercepted him, producing two katanas in just barely the nick of time, she managed to bring the blades forward and completely halt the incoming attack. "You're one of those Marines!" he swore as he tried to push her out of the way, but he was beginning to realize how utterly fruitless that was. She was obviously on equal footing with him at least and wasn't about to pushed way so easily. "**Zero Steps! Close Kill!" **The man shot down, ducking lower than her blades were and quickly landing on the ground beneath her. He spiraled around, bringing his blade upwards and arcing inwards for an instantaneous kill. Beth stepped in and brought her two blades down, using the barest movement possible to avoid the blow. So small that she didn't even avoid it, she just made sure it missed her vitals. His sword pierced right through her chest and came out the other end. Beth gritted her teeth, but in the end she was the victor. Her swords were placed at his forehead and at his chest, threatening to take out either his brains or his heart if he made a sudden move.

"Take your blade out." The order carried a surprising weight to it despite it not being said by a man of a captain rank or higher…as a matter of fact even Veri Fresh never managed to give an order with such force. The First Mate meekly complied, he slid his blade out and let it drop to the ground. He was in shock by what he saw. The wound had disappeared as soon as he took the sword out. He knew that cleaner cuts, healed faster, but this was just insane. "Don't think about anything. If you do…I'll take your head." Forget about having more force than a man of captain rank, her words carried more bloodlust than anyone the man had ever met before. "I need you to do a favor for me." She said, a smile spreading across her face. "I need to test a certain man's capabilities and push him to his limits. You understand?" she asked as she began to move her blade away from his body. The First Mate nodded eagerly. "Good…you are looking for us Marines, right? If so, that makes things easier…find Alexander by now he's probably covered in mud and fight him."

The First Mate nodded, watching her sword slowly leave his chest. He let out a sigh, he was just pretending to go along with it…if he could just get her into his perfect range he would use his strongest and fastest Three Step technique, his ultimate technique. He would kill her and be on his way. Of course, he'd still fight with this…Alexander fellow who was probably the man his boss had encountered, but he didn't allow anyone to make a fool of him. Beth stopped back and turned around, beginning to walk away. Finally…she was in the perfect spot. The First Mate leapt to his feet and grabbed his sword and went in…he didn't even have enough time to blink. The split second it took him to have his feet cover the ground was not nearly quick enough, his entire body went down to the ground due to a rapid fast slice from Beth that was unperceivable to this man's poorly trained eyes. He crashed to the ground, lacking his left hand.

"You are right handed, right?" she asked, "cause if you can't force Alexander to his limits than you are of no use to me." The man eagerly nodded, he was right-handed, he preferred having both of his hands, but he'd rather lose a hand than his head. "Phbt," Beth spat as she turned around, "You are a thousand years too young to be challenging the likes of me." The First Mate just looked on, a look of unimaginable horrors on his face as he watched her body sway away. Ordinarily a woman with a body like hers would be his favorite target. Rough her up a little, maybe cut an arm off, and then sell her off…true people paid less for women missing an arm…but some people didn't mind, heck, some freaks even paid more for it. But this woman was not someone who he could handle or sell…nobody really liked buying a demon in a disguise.

He turned around, should he head back to the ship and just rest in there for the rest of the night until they left and hoped they never found each other again? Should he run away? His entire body shivered with the thought…he was scared of her. He couldn't stay on this island if she was on here. He took a step forward for the docks before stopping…he was scared…not only of her…but there was one thing he was more afraid of. He was afraid of running away. If such a thought existed in his head he was terrified of it. He would be running away, selling his honor and pride and strength all in an instant. He would rather die than runaway. He grabbed his sword and tightened his grip on it. Now, where was this Alexander fellow at?

(-With Alexnader-)

"Achoo!" sneezed Alexander covering his conversation partner in snot once more. "I think I'm coming down with something," muttered Alexander picking up his hand and putting it on his forehead completely ignoring the bartender he had just been talking to. "I can't believe I'm getting sick at a time like this."

"I can't believe you just blew your mucus all over me!" shouted the bartender picking up his beer pitcher and trying to look into it to see if there was any old colored flecks of mucus in it. "You're lucky you didn't mess up my beer!" The bartender swung around placed the beer onto one of the serving girls' trays and waved her off. "I'll let you off the hook this time because you look like crap." Alexander's power seemed greatly diminished he was basically melting into the bar at this point in time. He was breathing heavily and he was sweating buckets, none of which seemed to please the bartender as he was doing it all over his freshly coated bar. "Now this chick you are looking for, you say her name is Rina, correct?" Alexander nodded as best as he could. "She has a dog," Alexander nodded. "She likes sakẻ," another nod. "And she's about yeh tall?" Alexander nodded again. "I suppose I can keep an eye out for her, but it would be easier if you could give me some of her more discerning assets." Alexander lifted an eyebrow, he had told him her hair color, her eye color, and her height, what more could he ask for? "Like...how big are her breasts and ass?" The man leaned forward, waiting for his answer.

"Tell you what…just ask every girl that comes in that question and the one that judo flips you into the wall is the girl is the girl I'm looking for," Alexander muttered, not really in the mood to talk about it. Maybe he should just take Dale on his offer and just rest in bed for the rest of the vacation. He supposed it was what he deserved for pushing his body so far and then staying out in the rain on the way here in anticipation of docking…but still…Alexander didn't remember getting sick all too often as a kid, he thought that was just one of the side-effects of being brought to life by the Devil Fruit…but he guessed he wasn't all too lucky.

"If you puke on my bar I'll bash your head in," warned the bartender as he went back to washing the empty glasses he had lying around. Alexander moaned in reply and the bartender just shrugged. "Say has anybody seen Nicki, she was serving a customer awhile back and now she's gone. Any ideas where she might be?" The rest of the serving girls just shrugged, they didn't keep an eye on their fellow waitresses apparently. Even some of the customers who knew Nicki couldn't place where she had disappeared to. Alexander pushed himself off of the table and stood up.

"I better…be on my way," Alexander said nearly collapsing from his fever. "I got at least two other bars I got to talk to before I…" Alexander's body bent like rubber as he crashed to the ground in a heap. The majority of the bar patrons looked over at him, but it wasn't too uncommon for somebody to collapse in a bar. Hell…it was almost every day. The bartender motioned to one of the girls to take him into the back room to sleep it off. Customer service means having a bed to sleep on when you get knocked out. It took two girls to heft him up into the air and carry him to the back room, plopping him uncomfortably onto the bed. "Where are you…Rina?"

(-With Rina-)

"I thought I made it abundantly clear," said Rina turning her back onto her visitor, "I'm never coming back to the Marines and I never want to see Alexander again!" she shouted turning her biting words onto her crew…her ex-crewmember Specter. "Just leave me alone, okay? In a few days I'll be setting sail with a new crew and getting as far away from you guys as possible!" The rain was still coming down on top of them and despite the constant noise from the drops hitting the stone roof they were standing on her words came across with surprising force and clarity.

Specter looked away unsure of how to say it, "I know that's what you want, but you have to know Alexander better than any of us. He's not just going to give in like this. You were his crewmember, right? The guy's not someone to take 'no' for an answer." Specter looked up as he felt the rain come down even harder on top of them. Never before has he hoped for a ray of sunshine as much as he did right this instant.

"I never want to see any of you guys again."

* * *

><p>Got my Iron Hammer format mixed up with my Saga format last week and gave away the title to this chapter. I wonder which one is better? Oh, well question for another day! Alexander's still sick and it seems like it just keeps getting worse!<p> 


	108. Chapter 108 Examination

**Examination**

Alexander rolled uncomfortably in his bed. He shouldn't be sleeping, he should be finding Rina. He managed to roll his body over far enough that he hit the side of the bed and went over it, crashing down onto the floor beneath him. He struggled for a moment as he tried to will his legs to stand. He snuck them beneath his body and forced himself up and into the air. He had to go…he didn't know how much time he had left, but he swore he would find Rina in however much he was allotted. The waitresses and the barkeep watched him stumbled out of the room. It was true they didn't want to watch him hurt himself, but still it wasn't their job to do so. They weren't his babysitters. They did the utmost they were supposed to do as just upstanding citizens. If he wanted to go out and get himself injured it was his choice. "Thanks," mumbled Alexander as he nearly collapsed onto the bar. His fever wasn't just magically disappearing and his legs shook beneath his body, but he still had the look of a man who needed to do something, maybe that was why the bartender felt a little upset.

Alexander stepped forward again, before feeling his own leg seize up on him. Alexander stumbled forward, completely without the use of his one leg and smashed into one of the nearby tables. The bartender considered himself lucky that it was empty. If it hadn't been he probably would've had a duo of very angry and very drunk customers after him. "Are you sure we should just let him go while he's like that?" asked one of the waitresses as she cozied up to the bartender, it was a slow hour or so, so they had the men at hand to go out and accompany him to make sure he didn't get into any real trouble.

The bartender mumbled something beneath his breath while he washed another glass, "If I got to spare some workers every time a man does something stupid and life endangering than I wouldn't have anybody left to serve my customers." The bartender brought the glass underneath one of his kegs and filled up just so he himself could have a drink. He chugged down half of it and then passed it onto the waitress, who graciously accepted a small sip. "Honestly, men like him are bound to two things, greatness…or an early grave." The bartender wiped his lips free of the beard as he went back to work, leaving the young waitress alone looking out the door and at the ongoing rain. She shrugged and whether it was the alcohol or it was really the truth, she had accepted her boss' words and went back to work herself.

Alexander in the meantime had already collapsed just outside the door and on the left, he was breathing heavily. His body had been pushed to the limits before, but he already felt out of it. He found it hard to believe that his body had just given up. He looked up at the sky just in time to see another brilliant flash of thunder roar across it. "_Stupid rain,"_ thought Alexander as he pretended to throw something up at the sky, but even his throw was noticeably lacking any and all strength. After fighting like his life was on the line against Seth, Seiryu, and Kaos he wasn't surprised that he felt like crap…but still he wasn't about to let that stop him. Alexander tried to pull himself back onto his feet and with the help of a nearby windowsill he barely managed to. His feet shook beneath his body as they felt the stress of holding him up again. _"Forward," _he thought as he tried to tightened his legs and force them to move, but they still didn't quite seem to have the strength. _"Forward…" _"I SAID FORWARD, DAMN IT!" he shouted at last, finally his words seemed to get through to them as he took a single step forward and then another. It was slow going, but at least he was going.

The First Mate in the background it had been a short search, but he had finally found him. He drew his sword and quickly measured the distance in-between them. He felt a little ashamed as it looked like this man was pushed to his limits already just by walking, he highly doubted he would have any trouble with him, but nonetheless that demon woman had asked him to do so and he would do it. He would destroy this man if it meant being able to live his own life, that was the true way of the pirate. Sacrifice anyone and everyone for your perfect life. And that was his goal, he would not allow anyone in between him and his goal. **"Ten Steps. Perfect Lion!" **He jetted forward, carrying all of his weight forward with each and every step until he was right behind Alexander. Alexander's hair went on edge and the First Mate knew that the jig was up that he had been found out in mid-attack, but he didn't care…there was no way he would be able to react in time to this attack. He laughed as he felt his sword hit home, right in the side of Alexander's neck.

However, he felt a sense of swelling despair as he realized his sword had stopped, it hadn't even entered the man's neck. He knew his Ten Steps technique was weak, but it was a clean hit, how did he stop the attack…and why did his skin look like iron? **"Cast-Iron Kill Swing!" **Alexander's body seemed to lag behind him slightly as if it wasn't doing exactly what he wanted it to do, but luckily it seemed that the First Mate's body had frozen. He had no idea how to react, his entire body seemed to have been frozen in time itself! Alexander rammed his heel around and into the man's side throwing him back a bit. Alexander paused for a moment as he tried to balance himself out again…that attack was probably only at about 50%...even worse, but due to his weak legs he couldn't even charge in to follow it up with his another combo. This really wasn't turning out to be his day.

Alexander tried to steady himself back off, but the First Mate wasn't down for the count just yet, remembering his resolve to win he quickly turned his body back on and charged in. "**Four Steps! Demonic Crane!" **He leapt into the air, jumping above Alexander and then positioning his blade downwards and plunging in that direction aiming to skewer Alexander from above. If Alexander was feeling up to it he would dodge by the smallest hair and then a fire a punch upwards to intercept his fall, however…Alexander was not feeling up to it, so he just scrambled out of the way nearly collapsing in the process. Alexander swung around just in time for him to be on the receiving end of another attack. Alexander tightened his guard and prepared for the impact. He would block the first attack with his iron arms and then immediately after he would move in and land one of his own blows while his opponent was recovering from their last sight. It wouldn't be pretty, but with the way Alexander was feeling it may actually be his best shot. Alexander felt the blade dig into his arm as the man brought it slicing through, without a doubt that if it wasn't due to Alexander's iron body a sword and swordsman honed to that kind of degree would've sliced straight through him bones and all. But it didn't matter now, Alexander stepped forward and fired a single punch that cut through the air. And nothing else. His opponent wasn't a fool, he wasn't just going to stand around and let his opponent close in on him and he had already jumped a few steps back. Alexander leaned back and took a deep breath…if he was fighting at full-power this fight would already be over with by now. The fact that it was still dragging on may just be the greatest annoyance. Alexander tightened his fist, readying himself for the next exchange.

Alexander didn't even get enough time to blink before the next attack came sailing in. It was an incredible burst of speed and power. Alexander flinched and was forced back as he felt the attack ring into his arms. The First Mate had turned his blade around, he was using the back of the blade. True it meant that Alexander couldn't be cut any more, but the fact was that Alexander already wasn't being cut meant that turning it around and relying on his sheer force to break through Alexander's guard may just be the best bet. He moved inwards, his body flowing like water as he closed in on his rather flat-footed target. Alexander didn't have much say in it…his entire body wasn't moving like it was supposed. He felt sluggish and weak.

He could feel his chances of winning shrinking more and more with each passing moment. He could maintain his balance so he couldn't use either of his Flying Sickle attacks, but Alexander couldn't catch his opponent so his usual fighting tactics were out of order too. It looked like Alexander had no option, but to retreat into his shell and hope to land a lucky punch. Alexander tightened his guard and tried to leave no openings over body. His opponent's quick attacks, dashing side-to-side meant he lacked accuracy and clear-headedness. He was using just as much of a last-ditch tactic as Alexander was. He had never encountered somebody with the same body as Alexander ordinarily the fight would've been over by now for both them. Both sides had been pushed into a corner. It would come down to whichever man wanted out of it the most. Alexander felt the ferocity of the attacks increase, his opponent was definitely looking to finish this and soon! Alexander tightened his guard, refusing to let the slightest of attacks break through his guard. However, regardless of how strong Alexander's guard was no one wins a battle with just that. Sooner or later he would have to fire his weakened punch.

Alexander wondered just how talented this man was. He knew that if he was at full-power the pirate would already be flat on his face without a chance of a turnabout victory, however, thinking about what could be or even what should be didn't matter in this world. Alexander just had to focus on what is! Left, right, left, right…the attacks were slowly becoming simplistic, his opponent was rushing to take him down that much was obvious. Alexander slowly started to swing in synch with his opponent's very simple rhythm. Build-up power, build-up power. Alexander's body may not be moving like it used, but his mind was still sharp. He was used to fighting at a handicap…he wouldn't just let his opponent go. He would use all of his wits and all of his remaining power right now. He didn't know why this man was attacking him in the first place, but it didn't matter. He would land one punch and that would be it. Sense his opponent's rhythm, tell which strike his opponent was using and suddenly counter it. Left, right, left, right…Alexander was soon moving in perfect synch with his opponent. Left, right, left, right, left, RIGHT! Alexander swung around separating his feet and blocking off his opponent's path, creating a moment of hesitation in him. And a moment of hesitation in a fight always led to defeat! Alexander swung firing a left for his opponent's head. The powerful iron punch seared the air as it narrowed in on his opponent's skull. Alexander's fist quickly embedded itself, finding itself right at home in his opponent's head milliseconds before Alexander followed through and sent the First Mate flipping through air, causing him to do a back flip right before eating dirt. Alexander huffed and puffed his entire body was started to sag…he was out of energy…he couldn't even…stand anymore…Alexander collapsed forward, smashing his face into the soft, wet mud below.

(-With Beth-)

Beth bit her fingernail as she watched on. It gave her a pretty good grasp of Alexander's combat abilities, but in all honesty his opponent wasn't really worth all that much. She was disappointed to say the least. She was hoping he would at less stress the half-dead captain a little farther. Maybe even force him to reveal his full-hand…if Beth could see what Alexander's full-power was like, she could get a estimate on him, but since she couldn't…she would just have to leave it at that…maybe the captain of the crew would be able to put up a slightly better fight.

* * *

><p>RUSHING RIGHT NOW! SORRY! Can't say much!<p> 


	109. Missing Chapter

Well, this is embarrassing, but I can't seem to locate the next chapter. I can only assume my dog ate it. I'm going to try and locate it tonight when I have a bit more free-time, but I can't promise anything. As a matter of fact from the look of a quick search on my computer I don't see anything up to chapter 130, which is very annoying. Like I said I'll conduct a more thorough search later.

Don't bother to review this thing as I'll delete it when I find the next chapter and post the next chapter. This is just a quick announcement letting everyone know what is going on.


	110. Chapter 110 Sick in the Head

**Sick In the Head**

Alexander could barely see two feet in front of him. Everything he looked at seemed to protected by a three foot thick wall of water. Everything was blurred together. However, the one thing he did notice was he was definitely not in his ship or outside. Stone walls surrounded him on every side. He shifted albeit somewhat uncomfortably to a sitting position.

He ran his hand through his hair as he rubbed his sore head. It still felt like somewhat had taken an Impact Dial to it, but he had to admit. It was better than it had been. Maybe he was finally on the mend. Or at least so he thought before he let loose a sneeze so powerful he was fairly certain it had taken his nose off. He kicked his head back and let it crash into the bed board behind.

"Arf! Arf!"

Alexander's head shot up off of the bed board as he nearly fell forward, trying to stand up. "Hayate?" he asked in what could only be considered temporary blindness on his part. He blinked once or twice, trying to see a bit more, but ultimately nothing more came into view. But this time he heard something a little more.

"Shh, Hayate," Rina whispered, but not quietly enough where Alexander couldn't hear her at all. Even worse though, Alexander could actually pinpoint where she was. Which was definitely not what she wanted. Alexander nearly leapt out of his bed, moving at speeds that were far beyond that of an ordinary sick person.

He lashed out, latching onto the very first human thing he could find. Luckily both for him and for Rina, his hand just barely brushed against her chest on its way to her arms. He gripped her shoulders tightly. His other hand swerved around and grabbed her other shoulder and pulled her in. "Rina!" he shouted, although he still wasn't sure if he was talking to her or to Specter with the way his vision was messed up. "I'm so glad to see you again."

"Alexander let go," Rina stated as she shrugged his hands off of her. Alexander went to wrap his arms around her once more, mostly for stability reasons this time, but Rina immediately smacked that idea out of him and him right to the floor. "No," she stated sternly almost as if she had been correcting Hayate when he did something wrong.

Rina took a deep breath, before turning away sharply, "we're not crew mates any more and we're not friends any more either." Alexander took a step back, looking slightly insulted and hurt when he heard that. He bit his lip as he looked Rina up and down once more. It looked as if those words hurt her as much as they hurt him.

"I still want you on my crew," stated Alexander, although knowingly with his stuffed up nose it probably came out very different. "You are my navigator." Alexander shook his head, he felt flushed still and was unsure if he could stand and surely had he went on for another few seconds he would've fallen, but luckily he found himself leaning on a small nightstand nearby.

"How sick are you?" asked Rina as she went in, hopefully for her last time and put the back of her hand against Alexander's forehead.

"Heh, thought we weren't friends," muttered Alexander.

"I'm asking as a concerned citizen," Rina stated without missing a beat almost as if she had been practicing that come back for the past hour, just in case Alexander woke up and she was still here, "can't have the last line between me and the utter chaos of piracy drop dead cause of an illness."

"Its just the cold," Alexander stated with a sneeze erupting in the middle of it. "No marines have ever died because of the common cold."

"Yeah, but you're different," Rina stated as she stated as she shook her hand after pulling it away. He was definitely still warm, hot even. "Cause of, you know, being a homunculus."

"Homunculus' are just like humans in areas of sicknesses,"Alexander stated, before quickly adding on a special addendum, "with certain exceptions for things like rust." Alexander had to do certain special 'weapon' maintenance on his body everyday in order to prevent things like rust and other weapon-only problems.

"You're the first one of this kind," Olivia had to add, "the Marine scientists only know of possibilities, not realities when it comes to you. They probably never figured you to turn out like you have. Or Kaos for that matter."

"We're unique cases."

"Cause Olivia is in coma and the only other one was killed by Kaos," Rina pointed out, "maybe if you had more concrete proof, I'd believe you. You may want to check in with the local doctor."

"Dale joined up with us," Alexander pointed out, "he's taking care of me."

"And he allowed you to run around in the rain?"

"Allowed, didn't know about," Alexander stated with a shrug, "same difference in the large schemes of things." Alexander chuckled to himself for a second before sighing...and then sneezing. "Okay, okay, anyways, my health isn't the real issue here."

Rina looked at him funny. He'd probably say that even if he had his leg cut off. She shook her head and quickly jabbed a finger at his chest, "the real issue is that you are having trouble letting go of me. I told Specter to tell you I don't want to be a part of your crew any more! I can handle myself."

"Exactly," Alexander stated, "you can handle yourself. You were made to be a Marine and you were made to be able to handle someone like me. Most navigators will be bawling their eyes out within weeks of knowing me. Or at least that's what Specter said."

"It sounds like he knows you pretty well," Rina muttered. "It doesn't matter after those first few weeks you'll win them over. You'll probably come swooping in like a knight in shining armor, ready to save them at a moment's notice. All the while undermining their life's work!"

"Are you mad at me cause I saved you?" asked Alexander, "I'm sorry I'm not big on my crew dying on me."

"I thought we both just agreed I could handle myself," Rina threw the fact back in his face.

"Its not just about you," Alexander growled. "Its about my crew, its about me."

"Its my life!" Rina barked at him, "you can word it any which way you want, but it is my life. I don't need you constantly butting in. I didn't sign into the Marines to get a knight in shining armor. I signed on because I didn't want to need one."

"Its not like I want to be your knight in shining armor," Alexander bit back.

"Oh, so I'm just so pathetic you just take it upon yourself to help me out like I'm some charity case? Is that it?" Rina stated, crossing her arms across her chest in defiance. "I'll have you know I've taken on plenty of villains by myself before I joined up with you, Mr. Hero. And I would've taken down even more if I had never met you."

"I'm not standing in your way," Alexander offered, "I'm just offering a helping hand. That's all I've ever done. I'm here to help you."

"I'm not going to subject myself to living in your shadow any more," Rina stated as she stomped her foot down, "I'm a navigator, my skills are in high demand nowadays thanks to the rough seas. I've already found myself another job. A job where I don't have to worry about people not having enough faith in me to dig myself out of problems.

"I trained to be a Marine. I'm sure a certain part of me is going to regret this decision, but I know if I stay with you and we continue down this road we're already on...I'm going to regret it even more. I don't want to be some damsel in distress for you. And I sure as hell don't want to be dead weight."

"You're not," Alexander pleaded, "you are a very important member of my crew. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you on our crew. You are one of greatest nakamas! Everyone is important on my crew. Without you it just won't be complete and it will never be. You were my first."

Rina gritted her teeth and turned away, "we're through Alexander. I never want to see you again."

"Rina," Alexander muttered as he tried to reach out and grab her, but once more his fever got the best of him and he just wound up swiping air. His fever vision just barely began to clear in time to see Rina grab her stuff from the nightstand and walk right out of the door. Alexander coughed a couple of times before groaning out one final word to his dear departing friend, "Rina." But she just kept on walking. Alexander let out a hacking cough onto the floor as he tried to remain conscious, but he found it harder and harder to do so.

His head slumped down and laid to rest on the floor.

(-With McPhinley-)

"This ain't right," McPhinley stated his entire body shaking as he thought of it. "He's not back yet. If the Marines captured him he could be spilling his guts as we speak. And I mean figuratively of course, I don't give two shits if they killed him, but if he sells us out he's a damn traitor." Their business as slavers may involve selling people as the basic building blocks of its business, it didn't take kindly to selling people out. It had a higher moral code involved with the people in the business. Perhaps it was because they knew what would happen to them if they crossed the boss.

Right now all of the men around McPhinley were beginning to scurry. McPhinley was a man who was absolutely detested in all corners of the world. The men who smiled at him and greeted him with full hearts, often did it with a knife behind their back.

McPhinley was just a business man first, whatever could turn the quickest and biggest profit he followed. This was very problematic in making friends as he would sell them down the river to the first buyer. That was why there were no women aboard his ship. Not only would they sympathize with most of the women he sold, but he had already sold them to the highest bidder. He had sold a few of the male crew as well.

"When that new girl gets here, tell her to get the ship ready to sail, I'll be back soon. Get some of our special spiked alcohol ready as well, once we clear the storm we'll throw her a little 'Welcome to the crew party' and we'll drug her, tie her up, and stick her with the others," McPhinley laughed as he jumped off of the ship and onto the ground. "If the First Mate turned traitor I'll be sure to punish him for such a ridiculously foolish idea! I'll bury him into the ground with my own two fists before he tries anything else!"

McPhinley produced a cigarette and lit it. Even within this roaring storm the flame remained strong. Whoever beat his first mate would probably be able to be sold for a nice lump sum to someone who needed a strong man or woman around to keep around to do the heavy lifting. Another small cha-ching went off in McPhinley's head as he headed out with this new idea in mind.

Turn every downside into an upside, it was something his old business partner taught him...right before McPhinley shot him in the back. Making money was in his blood, he'd be damned if he let someone hold him back from that golden egg.

* * *

><p>I really didn't like re-writing this chapter. the first 1000 words were fine, but that last bit nearly killed me.<p> 


	111. Chapter 111 No Such Thing as a Fair Chan

**No Such Thing as a Fair Chance**

Alexander stood up and shifted about. He was at least awake now. Even if it wasn't fully, luckily the pain-in-the-ass fever pretty much disappeared. Come to think of it his entire body felt a little bit better, maybe now he could stand without throwing up. "Nope! Nope!" Alexander stated as he fell right back down onto his butt after attempting to stand up. He was really sick.

He had absolutely no idea why he freakin' sick. He wished he could blame it on the rain, but in all honesty he had been out in the rain for long periods of times before. He had been training and working his butt to the bone, but even then he never got goddamn sick. So he knew it wasn't just the rain's fault. It wasn't the rain's fault at all, he had been sick before he had gotten in this rain.

He had been created to have a very high immune system. One that wouldn't get sick after something as stupid as rain. He was supposed to stay strong regardless of any conditions. A sick Marine was no use to the higher-ups so of course, he would've been designed to not get sick. A super immune system, which was supposed to have been indestructible, but here he was knocked onto his ass, by some common cold. It wasn't even a super cold. Wasn't he lucky?

"Was there something else that could of possibly caused this damn cold!" stated Alexander right before sneezing with incredible force. Alexander muttered some other crap to himself as he got up and began to leave. He was sick and didn't really want to wait around here for nothing to happen. Rina had already done left him for dead pretty much now. He may as well give up now.

Specter was right. Rina didn't want to come back onto their crew. She wanted nothing more than to leave them. He supposed she had every right to. It was her life, but he didn't want her to leave. She was his first crew mate. She was the very first person who had been brought in on Alexander's secret from the outside. The very first person who didn't play a hand in his creation. She didn't treat him like a weapon, a freak, and yet she knew of his secret. It was odd. It was unlike before. The only other person who seemed to treat him decently was Olivia or Kaos and they were the same as him.

"Crap!" Alexander shouted as he punched a nearby cabinet and brought it down with his strength. Even with it being effectively halved thanks to this damn sickness, he was still far from weak. He pumped his arm and examined it before giving it up and punching the table. Why did he have to think of Olivia?

Olivia was on a doctor's table in a coma because he wasn't strong enough. Alexander lost Olivia cause of his own weakness and he was losing Rina because he was too caring? Veri Fresh was dead because he didn't slow down and help him and Olivia was in coma because he didn't go fast enough! No matter what he was people just kept leaving him!

Alexander pivoted around and launched a powerful kick straight at the wall, cutting a long line straight through and into the open air. A back blast of air hit him as there was now an opening to the storm outside. Alexander flipped out a card and placed it on the table. If any damage was done because he was 'enforcing justice' the people whose house he damaged got one of these cards to reimburse them for the damage inflict.

Alexander opened up the window and leapt out and onto the ground outside. He was walking like a drunk man and he would've been coming from the room of a girl who left in a hissy fit. From what Specter stated most people had a habit of misunderstanding him so he'd rather not give them any more reason to think of him as wrong.

Alexander guessed that it was time. He'd leave and go back to his ship. He guessed his last meeting with Rina would just have to be considered just that. His last meeting with her. He'd say good-bye for her from this part on. He'd return to Specter, Dale, and Reggie...and he guessed Beth now. A five man crew. He didn't really want to believe it, but he was now down to this point.

(-With Dale-)

Dale moved a large section of books back into his room. He had been coming and going over and over again. He kept trying his hardest to obtain more information about these guys. He had been doing this over and over again all day. He had no idea about what Alexander and his crew was like, but he was looking over the past files from their last few missions.

Their mission success rate sucked, but he supposed he knew that from before. He had heard rumors of the Marines' so-called 'golden boy' having a less than stellar record regarding missions. A lot of people actually considered it to be the latest joke or a new motto. Success in the academy didn't mean success in the outside world. But still if he ignored the success rate...

The guys were pretty awesome. Their first mission had more blacklisted terms than most Marines see in their entire lives. They ay have failed in protecting the royal heir to the throne, but they captured a member of a known crime organization and according to this relationships between the two nations were actually on a rise after their visit. Probably because the crime organization left after one of theirs had been captured, but it was still amazing.

Boyd and Ghorl were two massive nations that had been at war for such a long time and yet thanks to the slightest intervention by Alexander and Rina at the time they had patched things up. It was sad that the young prince had to die in order to accomplish such a task, but the fact was still the same. The country was healing itself.

Their next mission was the supposed 'obtaining and transfer' of a Devil Fruit. It was a mess from what Dale read, massive damage was caused by a roaming group of bandits, the Devil Fruits were stolen, but it was still amazing to read that Alexander had taken down someone with a bounty on his head as well as a Devil Fruit power! Dale shifted through the papers a little more as he read a bit more about the next mission.

This was also when Specter had joined them. He supposed that alone was a noteworthy accomplishment, getting a hot head like that to cool down and join. There was also mention of someone named Akane, who was supposedly doing time under the Marines as a 'trial' period, but she disappeared after the fact despite taking a liking to the crew and wanting to re-join when her next confidential assignment was over.

Then came Reggie and more trouble. Alexander was framed for the murder of his crew, it was twisted and as a result Alexander sent many Marines to the hospital under the form of 'self-defense', the Marines accepted such an excuse given the testimony of Dante, the head chef, and Reggie, but Dale knew better from stories of his dad. This would still result in a black mark next to his name.

Finally a massive mission and the only success of Alexander and the crew in taking down a notorious pirate crew from the Grand Line! The Grand Line! Dale almost kicked his feet back and laughed at that! The guys had a 0% success rate at this point and yet the higher-ups entrusted such a big mission to them. Dale guessed it went to show how little a 0% success rate meant at times.

Then there was the mission he joined. Olivia was as close to a causality as you could get without being one and it had been their mission to stop that from happening. Dale supposed such was life, but it still saddened him a bit to read her name. He supposed Alexander felt the same way. They were brothers and sisters.

Dale had also taken it upon himself to read their own personal bios. Rina's was an interesting read. A gypsy ship got attacked by pirates. It wasn't until weeks later that a Marine ship found the lost ship and saved the only known survivor, though some of the other crew was missing, presumably captured and sold to slavers. Since that day Rina wanted to be a Marine.

She wanted to be strong enough to make sure none of that ever happened again. And then here she was getting her butt saved by Alexander. Dale sighed. He supposed that was what it took to make somebody want to give up. Having their dreams crushed by someone who was arguably better at it. Alexander was strong enough and kind enough to protect people and here Rina was trying everyday to be just like that. It was a shame.

Reading Specters' personal bio made Dale realize just what kind of trouble he would be in in the future. Dale never expected an easy job being a Marine doctor, but reading Specter's profile made Dale realize just how tough it would be for the future. The guy had blown himself up on at least three separate occasions. He'd better get the burn kit ready just in case.

Reggie's profile seemed to be the most calm. The standard young Marine. Unlike the others it seemed like she was like Dale and came from a 'pedigree' family. Her family history with the Marines didn't stretched back as far as Dale's did, but it was still there for an extended period of time. At least two generations, which made Reggie the third. Aside from a couple of hospital visits for burns and an accident with her tongue, she seemed to be fairly healthy.

Moving on was Alexander's which Dale couldn't really make any kind of headway with. The stuff seemed interesting enough, but it wasn't really helpful from a medical stand-point. Alexander seemed to be the picture of perfect health. No illnesses recorded for his life, no outstanding genetic illnesses, birth parents were unknown, meaning Dale couldn't even estimate possible health risks. It offered no real information for Dale.

Then it was their latest recruit Beth. Dale had never seen so many blacklisted words in a document before. It seemed like the majority of her profile was hidden from any possible prying eyes, sadly that even included her doctor. And any calls Dale made was immediately responded with 'Madison Beth does not require any medical attention'. Dale was her doctor for the time being, so he should technically be the one to decide.

It seemed like the majority of the crew was hiding something from him. Neither Alexander's nor Beth's information seemed to be helpful to him. If they were to get sick (or Alexander's cold to take a sudden turn for the worse) Dale would be absolutely lost on how to treat them. They could have allergies to the medicine he would give them or it may be a rare strain native to their homeland. But ultimately Dale had less information on the two of them than anyone else.

"HEY! DALE!" shouted Specter from down below causing the young doctor to jump slightly at the noise. He got up and wandered over to the door, opening it to hear better. Specter continued to shout up at him, "Its dinner time! So unless you want me to eat your share you better come down and get it."

Dale sighed as he hurriedly stuffed the files back into the cabinet. "Shouldn't we wait for Alexander?" asked Dale as he began to head to the kitchen.

"Tell you what I'll wait for Alexander if Reggie makes anything other than chicken."

"I told you this morning I was making chicken," Reggie stated plainly.

"Oh, well, I gave him a fair chance!" Specter laughed, "let's eat."

Dale supposed that while Reggie did her job stupendously well, he'd have to make a mental note to make sure the crew was getting all of the necessary nutrition and this was the first time Specter cheated Alexander out of a meal.

* * *

><p>I'll be honest I have no idea what I did to make my chapters stretch as far as they did before. I lost four chapters, but I can only really think of three chapters to include. Oh, well, I'll just have to make crap up, oops, I mean write the best I can to make up for the lost chapters.<p> 


	112. Chapter 112 Dirty Tricks

**Dirty Tricks**

McPhinley walked through the deserted island, shielding his face from the ongoing rain. It seemed like this damn storm lasted forever. It was a pain in his butt and he hoped it disappeared sooner rather than later. Then again as soon as Rina arrived they could set sail. Or when he had made sure his First Mate wasn't squealing on them, whichever came last as both were absolutely important.

And speak of the devil. He saw his future navigator bounding down the path as he thought about her. Well, perhaps bounding wasn't the word. Bounding seemed to imply some sort of happiness or spring to her step, but this? This wasn't that at all. She looked down, completely depleted of any sort of energy. Which, of course, made McPhinley want to cry as well. Already optimistic slaves sold for more.

Oh, well, the things he did for cash.

He reached out an arm and grabbed Rina for it and pulled her into his chest. Rina was surprised by this and perhaps if she wasn't already crying tears, she would've cried out, 'pervert' and immediately lashed out into his nuts, but she just didn't feel it in her any more. She looked up and caught sight of McPhinley.

"_Thank god," _she thought as she buried in her head in McPhinley's strong chest, "_some good news." _McPhinley had been nothing, but kind and understanding towards her. She appreciated his strength throughout all of this and as she felt his strong barrel of a chest, she realized he probably wasn't as weak as she had originally thought.

McPhinley was never exactly a man who hid his strength. It was just some twisted accident that he hadn't lifted a couple hundred pounds in front of her to show of his macho-ness. He was stronger than most slave traders in the West Blue. Not that he had all too big of a competition. "There, there girl," he muttered as he let her press her head in her chest. "It'll all be alright."

While his words and actions made him seem like a nice guy, his thoughts and line of vision would easily have betrayed him. Of course, no one was watching them that closely and no one could read his mind so there was no threat to his secrets being revealed.

His eyes were locked solely on Rina's busom and despite her no longer being in the Marines she was still wearing a white shirt, which was sadly (or happily if you are pervert like McPhinley) thoroughly soaked now thanks to the beating rain. And, of course, that thought alone seemed to occupy his mind. Perhaps having her sold in a wet T-shirt and a black bra would be the best course of action for the best price.

"He's just such an idiot," Rina cried into his chest, "I told him I never wanted to see him again and he just doesn't understand."

McPhinley nodded. "It's all alright," he repeated. While McPhinley may not be a genius when it comes to talking to women like Veri Fresh, he knew the basics. And knew that right now that was all that she needed to hear. Nothing more or nothing less. At least not for what McPhinley wanted, which was to get her on his ship.

"I was a Marine under his goddamn watch and I wanted nothing more than to just disappear while he couldn't chase after me, but he's here again," she swore. "I didn't want to ever see him again. Just live our two separate lives and eventually just forget about each other."

"That is indeed a noble goal," stated McPhinley as he gritted his teeth. Once more the only thing Rina needed to do was read minds and she would instantly understand the sort of beast and brute McPhinley was. Alas, however, such powers do not come easily.

"_A fuckin' Marine!" _McPhinley's mind raced. _"A Marine! Of all, my blasted luck! She's a Marine, maybe that'll get a little extra coin or maybe it won't. Do people pay extra for ex-officers of the law? What about this captain of hers? He's looking for her? He wants her back. If I sold her on the Black Market would he hunt her down? Would he hunt me down?"_

Rule number one in McPhinley's rulebook: Do not get caught. Rule number two was, of course, make as much money as possible. He had followed both of these rules faithfully, of course, now these two rules were possibly in conflict. Did he just go for the money? Or did he play it as safe as possible?

Of course, money has a habit of blinding people even from the worst danger. McPhinley rubbed his fingers together at the prospect. He had already sort of planned on capturing the captain anyways and if he did maybe he could even sell them off as star crossed lovers or something considering their history. Anyways, it didn't really matter. Money mattered and that was it.

McPhinley's hand went up to Rina's head and he rubbed it through her soft silky hair. He reasoned she had some sort of special conditioner that went into it to give it this sort of grace and shine. That would probably disappear after a few weeks as a slave. "Just head onto the ship," McPhinley spoke fondly as he patted her on the back. "Tell my men to give you the best the wine on the ship, the McPhinley special and tell them I said to not leave you alone."

Rina slowly nodded through a group of pathetic sniffles. McPhinley patted her on the back a few more times before leaning down and looking her in the eye, "I'm so sorry. I would love to lead you back to the ship, but I have some very important business in time. Somebody I sold some materials to apparently wants his money back cause he took a golf club to it or some similar bullshit. The life of a trader is never boring." McPhinley quickly rushed into town leaving Rina behind.

Rina watched McPhinley run off into town. She supposed she had to admire that sort of work ethic, something went wrong and rather than just bailing on the ship and leaving this island far behind, which he could easily do thanks to her skills, he instead decided he wanted to stay back and deal with the problem. Traders were generally the sort of honorable bunch she supposed.

Of course, when Rina thought about that she naturally excluded one group, the one group McPhinley belonged to. Slave traders were by far not honorable and by far were the kind to get paid and dash rather than fix a problem with their 'product'. Of course, McPhinley was also one of the best at this as well. He had turned avoiding work and churning out profits to an art form.

McPhinley found his target fairly quickly. Alexander looked like a zombie to him. Shuffling down the dirt path, his two arms completely drooping down to his sides as far as they could go and, of course, every so often his solemn and heavy footstep would be accented with a powerful blustering sneeze.

McPhinley had second thoughts about capturing him now and trying to sell him. People who looked like him, or people who looked like they were about to die, usually didn't sell very well as slaves. However, even if there were people who did buy slaves like that McPhinley wasn't completely certain he wanted to put on their payroll.

Oh well, if it was just the common cold McPhinley was certain he'd get over that and if it was anything worse...eh, his men always needed target practice. Anyways, it was time to get the show on the road. McPhinley flexed a little to make sure he still had as he slowed his pace down to approach Alexander.

McPhinley walked right up to Alexander and then out of nowhere his fist flashed through the air and right into Alexander's gut, blowing him down and bending him over. McPhinley's leg immediately arced into the air, right before it was brought down like a guillotine to the back of Alexander's neck.

"How did you like the McPhinley family specialty number 22?" he asked as he jumped into the air and intended to bring all of his weight crashing back down into Alexander's gut. However, he was met with his own little surprise as he found himself not jumping onto the soft cushy belly of a human, but rather the solid steel of a hammer.

"I think it needs a little more kick!" Alexander rolled backwards and onto his hand, pushing himself off of the ground and blasting a powerful series of dual kicks right up at McPhinley. The kick smashed into McPhinley's jaw and sent the poor fool, flying back. Alexander flipped back up onto his feet...or at least tried to. Alexander found himself quickly losing balance was he back up on them.

McPhinley paused a few steps away from his opponent and eying him up cautiously. His opponent was a lot sturdier than he had expected. A lot sturdier than he could ever have even thought. Alexander's steel body far exceeded his expectations. McPhinley nodded slowly as he took another few strides towards him. They were a few parts of the body McPhinley knew never got too hard.

A quick chop from below found its way straight to Alexander's neck, nearly blowing the poor captain down, but easily forcing all the air out of his mouth. Alexander supposed he should've been surprised that his opponent was at this level, but in all honesty he wasn't too impressed with McPhinley's strength and knew better.

The only reason McPhinley had even managed to push him this far was because an opponent like this was ultimately Alexander's ultimate weakness. It probably made no sense for a Marine to be weak to a fighting style like this, but Alexander always was. He just could never manage well against opponents who used low blows and cheap shots like that.

It was probably because not many opponents at the Marine academy ever took up such a cheap way of fighting so Alexander never had any practice against them.

"Oh! So sorry about that, mate," McPhinley chuckled as he extended an arm down to Alexander, "I thought you were a pirate. Those damn dastardly beasts of burden attacked my home town when I was younger and you look just like him. Seriously, I'm so freakin' sorry how about me and you go to the pub and get a drin and just forget about this little accident."

Alexander sighed. Things just weren't going his way. First Rina leaving him and now some guy mistaking him for a pirate. It was just a damn shame. Alexander grabbed onto McPhinley's hand and shook his head, "thanks. I would be lying if I said this was the first time somebody out of the blue just completely smashed my guts."

McPhinley suddenly whipped around, hefting Alexander over one shoulder and right into the ground. Alexander's head smashed into the firm soil and Alexander grunted in pain. He certainly had not been expecting that.

"What a completely gullible bastard you are!" shouted McPhinley as he cracked his knuckles, "I can't believe they allowed you to be a Marine. Unless you have some kind of family connections with the Marines I believe you are just a complete waste of space."

Alexander grunted as he stood up and cracked his own knuckles. He really should've seen that coming. Alexander pulled his arm back and was just about punch McPhinley in the face, when the man suddenly went to one knee, coughing up blood. "Ah! Are you okay?" Alexander shouted as he went down on one knee and wrapped an arm around McPhinley.

"Yeah, yeah," coughed McPhinley as his eyes bulged out of his head and some more blood leaked from his mouth, "after all, I mean its not like I have a tomato allergy!" McPhinley pivoted around and smashed his fist right into Alexander's gut. "Its just ketchup you fool!"

* * *

><p>Yes, Alexander is weak against dirty tricks and, to be fair, ranged attacks. In other words Usopp would totally be able to beat this guy despite in all honesty I believe Alexander could fight Luffy, Sanji, or Zoro one-on-one and be a challenge to them.<p> 


	113. Chapter 113 Cheap Shots

**Cheap Shots**

The fight seemed to be leaning heavily in McPhinley's favor. While Alexander had been putting up a fight, it didn't seem like it had really an impact on McPhinley. McPhinley just seemed to easily be throwing his weight around in pushing her around more and more with every impact. It was a smooth and steady push at every moment.

His techniques weren't awkward at all, it was almost as if it was completely polished into a fighting style just as every bit perfected as karate or judo. His every movement was design to throw Alexander off balance and every blow did just that. It had become impossible for Alexander to steady himself again. Whenever Alexander had the slightest break in McPhinley's assaults his cold would just kick him down instead.

Of course, none of these things bother McPhinley. He didn't care that Alexander was sick or that he wasn't used to such a well-polished and brutal fighting style. It was a series of cheap shots that all perfectly blended into each other, it pushed Alexander back. It was completely awkward for Alexander, a man who has taken on massively powerful opponents all the time, people who could break through his iron body, but this guy managed to pretty much push him back through tricks alone.

But still to say Alexander was at the end of is rope was far from the truth. Alexander pressed his feet into the mud beneath him. He quickly realized how horrible his footing was he had learned to punch with his entire body behind each punch, but he couldn't with his feet slipping away in the mud. Twisting with his entire body, pumping all of the possible power he could muster forward was his way of fighting, but with his feet sliding in the mud, incapable of getting a grip all of his power kept fizzing out.

Alexander took a step back and took a deep breath. However, McPhinley wasn't going to stop attacking and give Alexander a chance to breathe. He rushed forward and twisted around, firing a fast punch that arced upwards from below. A powerful uppercut feasted on his gut and forcing him back and knocking the air right out of his lungs.

McPhinley quickly spread his legs out to shift his weight all around. The fist he used for his uppercut recoiled back to his side and his other fist arc up, swinging around and then down like a hammer right to the upper left side of Alexander's head and forcing him down and onto the floor. McPhinley charged forward once more.

It was a vicious assault, lefts, rights, ups and downs all flew from McPhinley's arms. They were quick paced and easily allowed McPhinley to force his way forward. Alexander wasn't being allowed even an inch of breathing room. McPhinley plowed into him like a tanker. Alexander was thrown back, once more not because McPhinley was particularly powerful opponent his footing was just off completely.

Alexander's footing, mind, and power all seemed to be slipping away from him. Alexander never pictured somebody like this would manage to push him back so much. Still he couldn't just let this go past him. Even if he was only at one tenth of his power he still couldn't just give up. Even if it was only one tenth he'd still go at full-blast!

Alexander tightened his guard, pressing his two arms together to form a tight shell. McPhinley slammed his fist forward and right into his guard, against Alexander normally that would've hurt the puncher more, but once more without the proper footing Alexander just slid back through the mud and actually had his guard broken open.

With his guard now cracked open McPhinley rushed in, eager to take advantage of this small opportunity. His first punch slid in smashing itself into Alexander's groin and causing to recoil in pure pain. Following that up was a swift and smooth chop straight to Alexander's throat. Of course, the attacks followed again and again. McPhinley planted his foot forward, twisting around like a hurricane a massive chop straight at his opponent chest.

Alexander stumbled back and to his surprise there was another series of incoming chops. One, two, three, four, five! And then even more! Each one resounded with a loud smack and forcing his opponent to recoil with each and every one. The mud beneath their feet didn't seem to really McPhinley's power, which meant most of his power originated and flowed from just his arms.

Of course, that meant in terms of destructive power Alexander would've been able to overpower him, but due to the rain on the ground he was incapable of it. McPhinley's strength came from just simple luck, not only was Alexander sick, but even the ground was benefiting McPhinley. It seemed like Alexander stood no chance against this bastard.

A deep breath filled Alexander's lungs, he was running out of options and he knew it all too well. He was struggling to stay afloat in this battle already. He was out of breath cause of this blasted cold. If he was at full power he could fight back better!

Alexander stepped forward, sliding his leg forward and pressing it all the way up against McPhinley. He may not have anything resembling strength any more, but he still had his weight to back him up. Even if that meant the only thing he could do is basically fall on top of McPhinley it was still something.

Alexander leaned forward, throwing all of his weight behind himself as basically fell forward. Out of pure instinct he stretched his arm out firing a punch with his weight behind it, aiming to clip McPhinley. However, due to Alexander's sluggish, sick state McPhinley was loads faster. McPhinley bobbed and weaved right to the side and avoided the punch.

From that position McPhinley launched several powerful punches upwards and right into Alexander's gut, pushing the brave warrior back further through the mud. Alexander slid, his entire balance being destroyed from those three quic barrages to his gut. Alexander brought his guard back up. Had he not thrown that punch, he still would've had his guard up. It was a stupid move on his part.

"I can't believe it," McPhinley stated, "did my partner really lose to you?" He returned his fists to his side. "Its absolutely amazing how weak some people are. I picked him up cause of his strength, but it seemed like he lost to a loser. I was figuring that you were stronger than him so I would just have to find somebody even stronger, but it looks like anybody would do."

He was lifted up and off of the ground like a rag doll, but he still didn't mind it. He seemed to be a little bit sluggish, but he was still on his feet and that alone said a lot. He had taken a lot of blows from McPhinley's punches and kicks. A lot of them hit him hard and they kept coming.

"**Damascuc Kick!" **Alexander shouted as he spun around and fired his own kick right at McPhinley's head, but once more due to the mud slicked around his leg he couldn't get any sort of grip with his feet. He felt the mud once more slip right out from under him. Not only that, but his small slip gave McPhinley even better a chance to rush right in.

McPhinley suddenly zoomed in and he was right up beneath Alexander within seconds. A couple of quick swings with his arms, bashed his fists right into his opponent and fired his opponent back. Alexander had a few seconds to think once more when his opponent had pressed into his chest. There wasn't even a single second to take a deep breath.

Every one of McPhinley's attacks seemed to be an accurate follow-up, every blow of his came in quick and they were each also quickly leading into another. They nailed him again and again. Alexander's body was already beginning to take damage and it seemed like it wasn't going to stop. Alexander doubled over from the damage, already beginning to collapse.

McPhinley grabbed onto the back of his head, shoving it down while at the same time he brought his knee right back up at his opponent's forehead. Alexander was thrown back, but his opponent still wasn't done. McPhinley lowered himself down and brought his weight down. He took careful aim right at his opponent. Finally a quick powerful kick fired out from his weight like a cannon right at his opponent. Alexander's entire body was shot back.

(-With Rina-)

Rina had just now neared the ship of McPhinley. It was a nice ship considering it was just that of a semi-modest trading vessel. It wasn't like a Marine ship, but it was a still an impressive ship. It was a well sized caravel, so it wasn't huge, but it was still a good ship. She noticed it had been outfitted with a steam engine, which wasn't unusual or exactly new. Many ships had them now.

The _One Eon _ship that Alexander was in charge of was every bit as impressive even more so due to the money that the Marines felt was safe to sink into it. Rina also noticed that while McPhinley's ship had a notable amount of cannons for self-defense, but Alexander's ship had even more, notably because it was made for attacking as well.

Anyways, Rina knew navigating with this ship would be completely different from using her old one. The Marine ship was better designed for tight turns and probably had better navigational equipment than this one. Still it wasn't bad. Rina walked up to the ship and examined its build. A soft knock on the wood revealed that it was well made even. A sturdy echo greeted her.

She was soon met by the rest of her new crew. They were of all shapes and sizes, she was kind of off put by the simple fact that they all seemed to be males, even the one or two females out of the group seemed to be sort of guy-ish. But she didn't let that bother her. They all greeted her with smiles. Most of them soon left, figuring an official meet and greet would be held later, a few more leered at her, apparently happy that there would be an actual female aboard their ship. The remainder stayed nearby and looked at her expectantly as if she would reveal a baton and wave away the storm clouds and guide them to victory.

She just smiled uneasily and managed to stutter out a soft, "h-hello."

"ARF!" barked Hayate. Rina looked down at her dog and cocked her head to the side. That didn't sound like one of Hayate's happy barks, it seemed more like Hayate wasn't happy with them. Then again Hayate pretty much gave a much worse bark towards Alexander and now Hayate really did enjoy Alexander's company...or maybe it was just his bed he enjoyed.

One of the men walked forward and brought an arm out to invite Rina forward. Rina paused and slowly nodded, taking it and letting him guide her up the stairs and onto the ship. The deck of the ship was just as impressive as the rest of the ship. Everything was done up properly. The floorboards had been cleaned to near perfection and was the first thing Rina saw that beat her old ship.

Alexander was never very serious when it came to maintaining their ship. He wasn't bad with it, he just never forced Specter, Reggie, or anyone else to keep up with their chores. That was, of course, a huge problem throughout everything, but whenever push came to shoved somebody already had cleaned the ship's deck. Of course, Rina and the rest of the crew always had the same sneaking suspicion that Alexander had taken care of things himself. It was very un-captain-like and chances are had the Marines heard of such actions they probably would have reprimanded him for not acting more like their captain.

She supposed McPhinley was probably a bit more serious about stuff like that. Which suited her just fine.

* * *

><p>No more re-writing! I was so happy about this I knocked out two IH chapters yesterday! Its so nice to get back onto the story line that I'm supposed to be writing. And I am so glad cause it is going to be big! I mean power-ups for everyone (except for maybe Specter I'm kind of loss on how to give a grenade a power-up except for a bigger explosion or something)! New exciting characters! A character who had a cameo in Saga will be showing hisher face (making him/her the first character to ever show up in both)! New villains! New plot twists! Returning villains! The next arc is going to be big!


	114. Chapter 114 We Are Marines!

**We Are Marines!**

Perhaps Rina had been too hard on herself and on Alexander, even after she had quit the Marines she still had her heart sold on justice. She knew what she had heard without a doubt, she remembered the sound of someone screaming. Not of a blasted storm and that seemed to be what she needed, she snapped out of her funk. The memories of all of McPhinley's weird answers came back in that instant, she didn't need Hayate-like instincts or Alexander's strength to see that something was wrong. She began to prowl through the ship in search of answers. For the most part she could feel the leers from the rest of the crew, but she pushed those asides. Her sense of justice was overwhelming everything else, something was wrong. She moved through the ship, looking around in search of something to either verify or erase her fears. Something of that sort had to exist on this ship, something had to be able to clear her head. She paused, the sound of her own footsteps echoing across the ship, but it sounded like someone else was behind her. She spun around and looked behind her, besides little Hayate, whose footsteps were so light they couldn't possibly be the noise she heard, no one was there. She shook her head, her heart was beating fast, she was all alone…if they were villains she would be completely defenseless against all of them. She needed to go get help, maybe go get Alexander. She moved forward, but felt her feet stick, not literally, but out of her own will…she couldn't. She wouldn't! She was either a Marine and could handle this herself or she wasn't! Either way she had thrown away her reliance on Alexander! She can do this herself! She pumped her arms down, sealing her confidence and moving forward.

The large golden safe stood up in front of her it had struck odd the instant she had saw it. She knew something was awkward about it, but she had ignored it and now she was wishing she hadn't. She wished she had put her foot down and insisted on seeing the inside…it was just a look what could be so dangerous that were within these walls. Her chest heaved with a heavy sigh as she moved forward, pressing her hand against the safe and deciding she had to see inside of it. Basic safe cracking shouldn't be too far out of her skill range. She could probably handle herself. She slowly began the uphill battle both against the large safe as well as her own worries. In a few seconds she would've put everything together. Whether McPhinley could be trusted or arrested. She felt the door give, only slightly but enough to spur her on again. She pushed a little harder, opening it a little further. The door creaked and finally it opened up all of the way. She moved in, not wasting a second, she was in and she saw the sights, what McPhinley was trying to hide from her. At least a dozen women were in there hogtied and pressed down onto the ground. She spun on her heels, about to rush out, but a solid object hit her head and knocked her down. She stumbled, her arm reached out and grabbed onto the doorway, bracing herself and keeping her on her feet. One of the crewmates were standing there with a rusted over metal pipe.

"If only you could've kept your nose to yourself, I wouldn't have to rough you up!" he brought his arm back and suddenly brought it smashing back out like a sword, aiming for Rina's head again. Rina let go of the doorway, letting herself fall the rest of the way to floor and out of the pipe's path. The pipe clanged into the doorway as the pirate completed his swing. "Give up, girlie!" he said, snapping his fingers and signaling to the rest of the crew that it was time for them to come out. They came out in force, several of them…at least thirty of them poured out ready to exchange blows with Rina. Rina was still on the floor and she could only manage to drag herself a little further back as she looked up at them, she was outnumbered…by a lot. She wiped a little blood from her mouth that she got when she had taken that first blow. Rina had decided in that instant. She was a Marine! She would stand and fight regardless of the odds, without a doubt that was what Alexander would be doing.

(-with Alexander-)

Alexander's head reeled back after the first hit, he tried to steady himself, but he couldn't in time as the second hit came in. Alexander stumbled back, shaking his head trying to get himself to focus, but McPhinley stepped the game up. His punches shot forward with extreme accuracy, each one aimed a vital area. Alexander leaned back and tried to weave his way through them, but several of them hit home in his chest, but he could grunt and manage his way through them. He couldn't believe it though, his punch! He had connected with him just moments before, but it didn't matter! As Alexander had fear his arms had lacked any and all strength, he couldn't muster the power any more to get his famous one-hit KOs. He seemed to be lacking something and that alone hurt his ego. As he stepped in, trying to get close again McPhinley's punch came right into Alexander's jaw and knocked him back. Alexander wasn't sure if he was really that weak or if it was just because of his shaken confidence. He no longer seemed capable of charging in anymore though it seemed. His body seemed to already be moving sluggishly already and then he couldn't even win with his own punching strength. Should he even try anymore? He lifted his head up and hardened his expression. He tightened his guard and he knew instantly. Of course, he would try, he was a Marine! Alexander brought his two arms as close together as he could, forming a powerful block with as few holes as possible. He planted his foot and charged in! He moved in, bringing his body swaying from side-to-side as he made his approach to McPhinley. McPhinley wasn't a man to back down, his left and right exploded. Each one let loose a heavy echo as they blasted home and burned into Alexander's tight guard, pushing him back with every shot.

(-With Rina-)

Rina bobbed and weaved, moving quickly, dodging through the multiple pirates attacks. The speed of their sword swings singed her hair, their heavy mallets blew through the air and nearly forced herself back. But she kept it up, she read their moves from their wide swings and stepped in or out the appropriate amount. She was gliding through the mass like a goddess, she was clearly better than the rest, she moved in and out of the mass, stepping back the appropriate amount of distance to the avoid the next swing. The pirates were helpless against her, she was moving faster, swifter, and better than they were. Her punches would sail in and hit their guts, causing the slightest of pauses in their movements. If it was just Rina and one of them she would lean in and complete the rush, take advantage of the two to three second pause and finish them off, but as soon as her first blow finished another pirate would rush in. She bobbed and weaved, floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, all of that stuff to try and force them down, but in the end they were just such an overwhelming amount of them.

(-With Alexander-)

Alexander smiled, his strength and training had finally borne fruit. He had managed to plow his way against McPhinley's chest. He let out a heavy sigh, happy that he had finally managed to get this close. He twisted around, firing an uppercut for McPhinley's chin. McPhinley swung to the side, watching the punch as it soared by his head before twisted back around and launching his own punch straight down and into Alexander's face blowing him back. The young Marine caught himself, steadying himself out for a few precious seconds before bulldozing his way back into McPhinley's chest, tackling him. McPhinley's body was off center now due to the tackle, his legs weren't as steady as they should be. Alexander launched one, two, three, four quick blows into McPhinley's chest, knocking him back further each time. They were weaker than usual, but if Alexander just piled them on thick enough, hit him enough times he could still win this thing!

(-With Rina-)

Rina's counter connected, a quick swift hook, crossed over her opponent's straight punch and connected with their cheek. The pirate flipped, his feet being yanked out from under him as he did a complete 180, turning head over heels into the air. The rest of the pirates stood there, their eyes wide with horror and amazement. Did this little girl just take out one of their men with one punch? They couldn't move, they felt their blood freeze as they watched. This was the strength of a true Marine. They shook their head, there was no way to know if that right she could've just have gotten a lucky hit in. They weren't done with her! She'd tire out eventually! They had numbers on their side! Plus they were all guys! They couldn't let a single chick push them around!

Rina's fist stung, the feeling of the man's flesh conforming around it…she could still feel it. It was odd, she had punch people plenty of times, but this was the first time it had ever rang so hard throughout her own fist. She never felt it so fully before, it…it was odd. She supposed it may have been possible that she had gotten stronger, she had been desperately trying to get stronger to catch up to Alexander…maybe the fruits of her training had finally paid off. She tightened her fists and nodded her head, she supposed there was only one way to find out!

(-With Alexander-)

McPhinley was slowly starting to become groggy. His entire body seemed to become sluggish, he seemed to almost be moving slower now in comparison to Alexander. The numerous body blows had finally eaten away at his stamina, forcing him to a standstill. McPhinley's body was yanked back as Alexander bolted inwards, shifting his weight perfectly and landing a powerful frontal blow to his gullet. The true difference between them had finally become obvious. Alexander may be sluggish, sick, and weak, but his toughness and spirit hadn't changed one bit. He moved stepped in with all of his might in order to prove this. His fist flung through the air, scorching it as it went almost as if Alexander was back to his old self. McPhinley lunged forward, but his own grogginess seemed to finally make a difference. Alexander's punch hit first, rocketing downwards and blasting straight through. McPhinley leaned backwards, the light almost gone from his eyes. He could already see his money and women vanishing in some sort of overly warm montage-like day dream. Alexander turned around, twisting his entire body around like a hurricane. His punch cut air…he had missed…

Because McPhinley collapsed. His entire body fall to the ground like a puppet without its strings. The last punch Alexander had landed had caused his consciousness to fade, the day dream sprouted up in his mind as he had been knocked straight out. He collapsed at Alexander's feet…but Alexander couldn't quite stay up too much longer either. His entire body was giving out on him. He had forgotten how many good hits he had taken. More than McPhinley had. Alexander took a step, but his entire body wavered above it. He tried to move a little faster, but the pounding rain and wet mud at his feet seemed to sap him of all of his energy. Alexander barely moved another few steps forward…before falling flat on his face.

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><p>Don't really know if I liked the format for this chapter, but I wanted to do something big and possibly unexpected so this is what I came up with. I hope the transition from the last few chapters didn't screw too much up. Re-writing everything to be something newer and bigger and exciting was pain (I know I need to stop talking about it).<p>

And while I am still hyped about the next arc please do not get your hopes to high up, its easier to amaze you when you expect pure and utter crap.


	115. Chapter 115 Total Recall

**Total Recall**

It was a hard fought battle, but here she was…Rina lifted her two hands above her head. She had won, the numerous pirates had finally bitten the dust and she was left standing once and for all. She didn't have any time for a breather though, if McPhinley came back and found out all of this was her fault, she would be in a bad spot. She needed to get the hostages off of the ship and quick. She rushed back to the golden safe and opened the doors, practically falling into them from exhaustion. She moved over to the people who were in trouble and she quickly made her intentions known, "I'm Chiran Mitsukomi Rina, a Marine" she proudly declared, "I'm here to get you guys out of here before the pirates return, okay? As soon as I cut your bindings please head for the exits and the nearest inn where I can do a head count as soon as I'm finished, do you all understand me? Some of the people nodded, but most of them were too exhausted to move anyways…she supposed in the end it didn't matter she'd let them all out anyways. She moved over to the people and practically fell over, she stumbled back up and grabbed a nearby blade from the pile of treasures and went to work chiseling away at the ropes.

Rina wasn't sure how long it was until she was finished, she didn't think too long, but they were at least 12 people whose bonds needed to be cut , she was tired, and even now that was done some of them still lingered waiting to make sure everybody got off safely including her. She waved them along and took a deep breath and began making her own way out and onto the ship's deck. She was tired, but she had at least a little more of her life planned out now. She was a Marine, no going back on that fact now. She supposed maybe it was a little rash to completely quit the Marines, but with Olivia's condition and Veri Fresh's death it seemed like a logical choice. However…this didn't mean she was going back on Alexander's crew. She didn't need to be on the crew of someone who was constantly saving her, she was a Marine in her own right…she needed to get stronger first.

A dull yell suddenly cut through her own thoughts, "HELP!" Rina jumped back and immediately ran as fast as she could to the top of the deck and found McPhinley with a blood-splattered beard standing amidst the rest of the slaves Rina had just managed to free. He looked tired and his shoulders were sagging, not to mention he didn't seem all too thrilled to be here right now himself, he was obviously annoyed. He turned around to see his opponent, Rina, standing there. He smiled as he threw one of the slaves he was holding and beating over to the side.

"Ah ha ha ha ha!" he muttered leaning back and walking forward, "pafetic! You, you actual-bee fiburred ip oup…and apbripently my men let you…oh, well…I'm no pufother like them!" He wiped his hand through his beard and was apparently a little surprised at the blood too. His speech was obviously slurred, but he didn't seem drunk. He seemed just a little disorientated, but more like he got hit upside the head once or twice. McPhinley brought his arms and formed a solid guard, "brig ip!" he screamed almost like a drunken caveman. Rina took up a fighting stance, but then she noticed the mud-caked jacket next to him. It was Alexander! McPhinley apparently took notice of this. "Him? He bras a breakling I beat up!" Rina was startled at that, he beat up Alexander. "That rigt! I won againft him!" Rina was a little taken back by this and she went to move forward, but seeing Alexander's body on the floor disturbed her. "He dithracting you?" asked McPhinley as a devilish grin crossed his face. "Well, I'll thix that." McPhinley bent down and hefted Alexander body and into the air before spinning around tossing the large Marine overboard.

"ALEXANDER!" Rina shouted, chasing him down and leaping off of the ship to get to him. McPhinley smiled as he moved forward, he had already detached the ship. He needed to head out now. He couldn't wait any longer it would be a little bit harder with his crew knocked out and his navigator gone overboard, but he didn't care. He needed to head out now. He'd get a little bit out to sea and then shoot these guys down once he was significantly out of the way. Despite his genius plan, he quickly felt his ship shudder to halt before it had even left the harbor. Of course, he had a steam engine so it wasn't as if the wind suddenly shifted, he didn't need it. He had huge turbines and motors powering his ship forward…but then that didn't explain why he had been stopped. Did he run into something? He rushed out of his quarters and to the front of his ship to see what he could've possibly run into.

"Honestly every single time I meet you it seems like I'm always saving your ass, Alexander. Just think about how that makes me feel." McPhinley felt faint…it wasn't possible…it wasn't a rock or a tree or anything that seemed feasibly possible. It was…it was a man. He had a golden mane, almost literally a lion's mane due to how it was styled, it had white streaks running through it showing off his increasing age. However, his body was much more akin to that of a young body builder; he had massive tree trunk-like arms with a thick layer of muscles covering them. His calves were incredibly well-built too obviously capable of holding back the large ship despite having nothing to stand on. The man pulled his arm back and took aim. "As for you I want you to know that was my student you just threw overboard. So, in summary…GET OUT OF MY FACE!" The white streaks in his hair vanished, returning to their original gold color as he brought his fist forward, scorching the air and destroying the ship with one cannon-like punch. It was almost as if the entire hull of the ship had been blow away by a storm, it was an incredibly concentrated punch that left the ship sinking as the man moved back over to the shore, his golden locks returning to their previously white coloration. He quickly went back on shore and turned around looking over the seas and at the sinking ship and the waves. He sighed.

"WHAT THE HELL IS TAKING YOU SO LONG! COME BACK UP AND GREET YOUR TEACHER PROPERLY!" he shouted as he lifted his leg into the air, taking up a similar stance as Alexander's Damascus Kicks. Suddenly he brought the leg back down and onto the water, causing a massive wave the separated the water, blowing it all to the side and revealing the semi-deep bottom of the harbor as the waves were pushed away. Rina was about halfway up, already had Alexander caught, but what struggling to bring the iron human back to the surface. However, with the water gone she couldn't quite continue her way up could she? She quickly began to fall again, but was caught as the 'teacher' had bolted in and caught them both hauling them both up to the shore.

(-Later that day-)

Alexander sputtered alive, coughing up the water he had unintentionally taken in. He rolled onto his side, his head was pounding, he still felt the water swishing around in his nose and ears…all-in-all it was a very unpleasant situation. He didn't understand why anybody would ever willingly choose to go swimming. He turned his head to the side and once more coughed up a huge amount of water as he came to…unexpectedly right into Dale's lap. "Thanks, captain," was all the doctor could manage to say, but his face said something a lot worse.

"Told ya, mouth ta mouth was all he needed," laughed Specter as he patted Alexander viciously on the back, causing him to cough up more water…and still onto Dale's lap. "BWA HA HA HA HA!" laughed Specter kicking his head back and falling backwards into his seat that was nearby.

"Who the hell gave me mouth-to-mouth in the first place?" asked Alexander, as he finally felt the remaining water in his mouth and lungs drain out.

"Well, Beth is off talking to some old codger, Reggie's busy preparing meals and checking on the ship, and Rina was just as wet as you were when you were hauled in here. So, it fell on me and Dale to give it to you and like all grown-ups we decided things fair and square…with a game of rock-paper-scissors!"

"And Specter's luck had run out," said Dale with a smile as he leaned back against his chair, obviously inclining that he had won their little game.

"I think I'd rather have drowned," muttered Alexander feeling the water in mouth slowly get replaced with vomit…now that he thought of it he did feel the distinct taste of gunpowder on his lips.

"Then next time I'll let you!" shouted Specter bonking Alexander upside the head with his launcher, apparently he had forgotten that the Marine was previously sick and had just nearly drowned, his physical power was at an all-time low so Specter's little attack there had ripped Alexander off of the bed and onto the floor. "I bet you just wanted one of the girls to give you mouth-to-mouth!" Alexander sighed as he stared at the floor, trying to get back up. He was feeling poor and he didn't want to insult Specter again, but honestly…he would rather have had Hayate give him mouth-to-mouth than Specter. "I HEARD THAT!" shouted Specter once again, giving Alexander a vicious swat to the head.

(-with Beth-)

"How long has it been Madeline?" asked the 'old codger', the man with the golden lion's mane as he stared at his companion for the time being. He sighed and looked up into the air, "I suppose that as usual this won't be a friendly chat." He smiled as he looked over at her, eyeing her up and down. "You look as young as ever."

"You know as well as I do it is impossible for me to age," she said, her tone carrying both the same weight and seriousness to it as it always did. "Can you tell me what the 'Secret Weapon of the Marines' is doing out here now. Don't you have a training academy to run?"

The man let out a boisterous and almost rude laugh considering he was being approached with such manners. "That was always just a hobby to being with anyways," he shrugged and leaned back, "besides Alexander was one of my students. I have the right to be concerned about him." Beth raised her eyebrow, apparently finding that either his concern for Alexander was odd or the fact that he had something to be concerned about odd. "I heard through the grape vine that he lost his other mentor, Veri Fresh as well as his 'sister' Olivia." Beth rolled her eyes at the first name, Veri Fresh, he was basically the thorn in everybody's side concerning Alexander. Veri Fresh had protected Alexander for so long that the bad news had been dwindled and cut down and, of course, like all good-natured politician Veri Fresh had the perfect counter ready to support him. "I know you were one of the many people supporting the shutdown of the homunculus project. You were also one of the people not in support of it in the first place."

"Unlike you I care about the Marine's position with the public," she said matter-of-factly as she looked over at him, the man shrugged…Marines, who needed them? Not him, as long as you were strong the laws were just a hindrance, it was the weak who needed them in his eyes. "I suppose if you found that much out you also found out about the next topic of discussion at the recent meeting."

"Yes, I have…as I told you I'm concerned for my student," he sighed out as he turned to face her, the white streaks in his hair turning to gold once more. "This 'Total Recall' plan of yours," Beth shot him an angry look, indicating clearly that it wasn't her plan, "fine," he muttered, "this 'Total Recall' plan is bullshit!"

"Not in the eyes of several higher-ups," shot back Beth, "Veri Fresh was one of the few things tipping the tides in their favor. He put a positive spin on all of their project, people followed him when he said 'no'! Well, guess what? Veri Fresh is out of the way now! Alexander's horrible mission success rate has been revealed to the government's eyes! Kaos' part in the destruction of several Marine scientists has been revealed. The Homunculus project was a failure! It was shutdown in the past because of such findings, keeping it afloat by letting those four live resulted in this failure!" The man went to speak up, but Beth cut him off, "Alexander, Olivia, and Kaos ruined the balance and are all deemed failures…they were born because of the World Government's word and they will die because of it. 'Total Recall' will brought up in one month and if 70% of the World Government officials in the know pass it, guess what? It will come! Alexander and Olivia, the only two remaining Homunculi will be executed!"

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><p>Does it really surprise you that they would be thinking of such a thing. Like Beth said not a lot of them were really doing much good. So bam!<p> 


	116. Chapter 116 Testing Alexander's Metal

**Testing Alexander's Metal**

The old codger stayed still for a few seconds as he looked over at Beth, who was obviously seething with anger. He frowned, obviously displeased with how this conversation was going they were once good old friends, but that had changed recently. There was a distinct difference in their loyalties. Beth was much more aligned with the Marines than he was. He didn't care, they were more than welcomed to do what they wanted, but acting in charge always annoyed him, but they kind of were. The Marines were in charge with the force and authority of several countries backing them. He supposed they needed that kind of power though if they were expecting to beat the Yonkou and the like. "How many people are currently on your side?" asked the old man.

"More than half," said Beth, "about 67 percent of the Marine on voting commission have sided with me. We just need about 2 more people to change their opinions…and with the way Alexander's crew has been handling their missions of late…it'll probably happen. Olivia wasn't doing too much to begin with, but now that she is in a coma, Kaos has been revealed to have defected to the enemy's side, and Alexander's astounding 20% mission success rate…I can't imagine that they'd stay with him any longer. Face it, Operation Total Recall was a success…I suppose you came down here to say good-bye to your old student, huh? Or are you going to warn him about it, which, may I remind you, is against the rules? Warning a Marine about any upcoming reviews results in instant probation even for someone of your standing in the community." The old man smiled and shook his head.

"I trained Alexander to be capable of handling himself," he said as he reclined and began to relax, extending a hand and inviting Beth to do so too, but she declined. He shrugged and sighed, she wasn't always like this. "Fine, but note this Alexander is a valuable Marine one way or another. He may not have an exception record with missions, but he does have one when it comes to fighting." Beth laughed and was about to say something, but the man stood up, instantly showing his extreme authority that could make anyone silent in his presence, "I know, I know that fighting is more valuable to pirates than it is to Marines. Undoubtedly that is how you look at it, but still…in the upcoming months…possibly even weeks you will need more fighting power." Beth raised an eyebrow, she was a perfectly capable fighter more so than most men. "I mean, of course, you'll still have me on your side, but even I can't do everything! Bwa ha ha ha!" Beth ignored him and began to move away, but she stopped and turned back around glancing at her conversational partner.

"Then why did you come here? You are obviously not going to talk to Alexander about Operation Total Recall…you don't care enough about him to worry about him losing his mentor and you obviously don't think you are going to need to train him more to make him capable of handling the trials ahead."

"Hmph…I suppose I'm here for the same reason you are here," he stated as he moved forward a bit more, "I wanna see my precious student's growth, bwa ha ha ha!" He paused for a second after that and looked down. "And I honestly don't think he's ready to even think about partaking in the next mission you guys are about to assign to him." It was apparently Beth's turn to laugh.

"What happened to the fact that you trained Alexander to be capable of handling himself?" she prodded, jabbing her finger at his chest causing him to recoil slightly. The old man smiled and looked down at her, this was more like it. "Are you saying that Alexander can't handle himself and needs a babysitter?" If he was then it might be the first time the Marines and him were on the same page. It was unusual due to his cocky nature and the Marines' ordinarily reserved approach to anything. She looked over at him, expecting an answer and soon. He sighed as he turned around and looked at the now setting sun.

"I believe Alexander can handle himself in any normal situation, but you and I both know that what they'll find in the Grand Line ain't normal." Beth took a step back, but she had to agree with him. If anything Alexander's latest encounter with Sieryu and the like proved that. The old man sighed and leaned back, unsure of how to continue this conversation, but he sighed and continued it anyways, "the Grand Line is a pirate's paradise as they say, which naturally makes it the Marine's worse nightmare." Beth went forward to state that plenty of Marines had made their names in there, ignoring the fact that many more had made their graves, however the man cut her off, "especially with the change in tides coming. The Gura-Gura no mi has reawakened."

(-With Alexander-)

"I'm this close to hitting you with a good one!" growled Alexander pulling his coat's sleeve back and walking towards his opponent, Specter laughed and waved at him to bring it on. Dale was trying to pull them apart and make sure that they didn't fight, but it seemed like his pleas fell on deaf ears as neither Alexander nor Specter seemed willing to let the subject drop. Alexander was getting ready to knock his block lose with one punch while Specter was busily making fun of Alexander for being sick and weak. Alexander suddenly leapt forward, tackling Specter and knocking them both down and to the ground as they rolled around. Dale sighed, he went forward to peel them apart when another man appeared at the door and asked for him to come out, apparently it was from the Marines. They had called their ship and asked for him. Dale was impressed, not many people called him. He looked back at his two rough-housing nakamas and quickly put together that Alexander was more than healthy. He thought about telling them to take it easy, but immediately decided that if he did say something like they'd probably redouble their efforts to hurt each other. He instead decided to just slink out and leave things be.

Alexander and Specter finally untangled after about ten minutes of rough-housing, deciding things were best left in a draw, although both sides have firmly decided they had won. "Think she's coming back?" asked Alexander as he reclined against one of the walls, relaxing for the first time in weeks. Despite most other Marines believing he wasn't worth the effort it seemed like he had a never-ending stack of requests piling up. He supposed technically he had been given a month off due to Mary Fresh's command. Maybe there was a nice town around here to relax at…he should have some time left over. However, he should still complete what he came here for. He wanted Rina back on his crew.

Specter sighed and rubbed his non-existent beard. "I wouldn't count on it, captain," replied Specter as he shook on his head. It was common for Marines to leave their crew, Alexander would have to accept it. "Anyways!" declared Specter, flipping himself up and off of the ground landing on his feet and motioning to his captain, "we got to meet up with your old teacher." Alexander moaned, Specter had barely just told him that he was back on the island, but in all honesty Alexander wasn't too thrilled to meet with him. They weren't exactly good friends back when Alexander was under his care. He supposed it would probably be like last time. He sighed and got up to follow Specter. However, as soon as his butt left the floor a small black bomb rolled in from one of the open windows. Specter's experience with bombs and other gunpowder powered weapons immediately alerted to him the danger, "HIT THE GROUND!" Alexander reacted a little bit slower, but luckily he still managed to throw himself to the ground before the bomb went off sending off a bright flash of light and a stinging, tear-producing chemical filled the air. The enemy flew into the window, throwing his weight forward and producing a heavy strike with the heel of his shoe straight for Alexander's forehead. The attack went in cleanly forcing the Marine back and causing him to flail for a second before hitting the ground.

Specter quickly produced his crossbow and aimed upwards, his sight was slightly blurry from the tears, but he could still see well enough to aim at the only blur still standing. The small exploding sphere fired from the bow, wrenching itself free from the contraption at high speeds. The blur leaned to the side, using almost superhuman senses to cause the bomb to miss. The man rushed forward, covering the distance in between them and quickly produced a short sword drawing bead on Specter. Specter brought his weapon down and barely managed to guard against the rising blow. Alexander then came rushing in like a bull, bringing his shoulder inwards and at him, the man jumped up using Alexander's shoulder as a support. He whirled around, pivoting around Alexander's shoulder and sending his foot around and into the back of Alexander's neck, causing the captain to once more tumble forward and barely managed to stay standing.

"I was expecting a challenge," said the man as he landed softly on the ground and looked down upon his opponent. Alexander tried to stay on his feet for a little longer, but could already feel the concise blows wearing him down. Alexander was better at taking big powerful moves rather than these light, but well-aimed hits. However, if there was indeed one thing he was better at than taking hits…it was dealing them out. Alexander backed down a few inches, lowering his weight and shifting it forwards onto his front foot. True, Alexander's big risk strategies rarely worked out for him…as he supposed they should, they were big risk gambles after all, but he still liked relying on them…perhaps because there was nothing more satisfying than when they paid off and you got to watch your opponent's head jerk back like a ragdoll. Alexander tightened his focus. The man seemed to respond to this. The tension in the air grew thick and neither man wanted to lose.

(-outside the room-)

"Bwa ha ha ha!" laughed the large older gentleman, Beth had left him, but as fate would have it he had a new interest piquing in the fight between these two men. He should've felt mad, the 'intruder' was his subordinate and he had expressly told him not to get into any fights. He had brought him as a sort of training mission, working on a developing a new improved level of fighting that would surpass the normal 'human' limits. True, he was supposed to be his 'secret weapon' for when the time came, but in a way, he supposed this was probably for the best. It would be good to see how these two battles wore down into the endgame.

He estimated the odds to be seven-to-three, in favor of his latest student. However, the problem was simple. It all depended on how much Alexander has grown based on what he had seen so far he estimated the amount of growth that Alexander underwent to be near zero. Once again a rather boring estimation. He had hoped it would be a close fight, but if Alexander was being pushed around this easily than he was afraid his worse fears had come to light, Alexander definitely wouldn't survive the era to come.

Securing the Gura-Gura no Mi would undoubtedly be Alexander's next mission…it would probably be the mission of all Marines as the Gura-Gura no Mi definitely couldn't fall into enemy hands. The destruction it could unless would be devastating and definitely not something that should ever come to be. Of course, he supposed by that same letter…should the Gura-Gura no Mi fall into the Marine's hands? He wasn't quite sure that they could be trusted with its power either. Nonetheless, he was sure that something definitely would give-way in the near future.

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><p>I like puns a bit too much.<p> 


	117. Chapter 117 Pulled Punches

**Pulled Punches**

"I want that power!" laughed a man as he stumbled through the halls of a desolate base, the walls reminiscent of a ruined castle. "The Gura-Gura no mi is one of the few Devil Fruits that could be considered perfect. It is the perfect weapon. We are almost there, we have almost breached the final level of designing an unstoppable force. If the Gura-Gura no mi can spearhead the creation it will be perfect." He was surprisingly quick. It was surprising because the man looked to be a hundred years old. His lips were cracked from old age, even his muscles appeared shriveled past the point healing. He looked decrepit and past the point of saving. But nonetheless he walked with a surprising quickness to his step. "Void!" he shouted, his voice bouncing through the walls.

The scientist yawned, but was quickly coming around the corner. He wasn't given the position of highest honors just because he was hard to kill and a genius…he was also punctual. Good manners and quick feet can get you far in the world of assassins. He appeared around the corner, spending only a few seconds covering the ground up to his partner. There were technically three 'gods' of Taka, but the third one had the lowest interest in matters like this. The creator, the old man, and the scientist, Void, were the only two whose voices needed to be heard. "What is it?" moaned Void as he collapsed into a nearby couch, nearly sinking straight through it. His eyes seemed glazed over from disinterest…or lack of sleep. As the head scientist and third power of a multi-national assassination business he didn't get much free time, even less considering his own quirks.

"Is it ready, yet?" he asked. Their secret weapon in the making, it took time to hammer out the finite ideals, but they had finally decided on what it would be like thanks to Void's own brilliance and the old man's long time on this planet. The ability to fully destroy any enemies on the face of the planet wasn't just a power in fairy tales or in ancient legends. It was a power they would possess soon. That is if Void Furrow could trust the dimwits he worked with to…you know, work.

"Sadly," Void Furrow brought up, "it won't be perfected for a while, creating a fully integrated weapon's system combining that with defense, speed, and maneuverability is difficult. Not to mention securing the energy source wasn't exactly either." Hell, even that didn't quite sum up the trouble it took them. Honestly it was a one-in-a-million chance that they found and then came the problem of hooking it up to the integration system and then making it actually work. However, it did. And for that the honor was all due to Void Furrow. Despite passing on the bad news he seemed genuinely happy for the rest of the news. "Possessing the Gura-Gura no Mi, however, would take care of the weapon's system. Imagine a ship that could destroy islands by creating seismic tremors!" The ancient man smiled as he leaned back and collapsed into a chair…or perhaps his legs just gave out on him.

"Ages…" he muttered, "that's how long it has taken me to get to this point. Literal centuries have passed before my eyes as I worked as a man in the shadows and finally I have gotten to this point." He sighed and his head rolled back and let his eyes feast on the ruined ceiling of his castle, which could possibly give way at any moment. "You say you are doing this to better society to create a weapon that will slam all evil doers in their tracks…" Void smiled, the man knew him…or at least his façade. Void wanted a weapon strong enough to stop everyone in their tracks. True, it would stop all evil-doers, but it would also put those Marines in their tracks. World domination was the only goal worth shooting for nowadays. Oh, and, of course, immortality to enjoy it all forever would be nice. "I just want to change the world…whether this changes it for the better or for the worst doesn't matter, but after being alive for a couple centuries, this stagnated world bores me. I'm only in this for the ultimate thrill." Void Furrow chuckled to himself, the man was old and off his rocker…it made him wonder why they ever put up with him. However, Void Furrow was also the latest person to join the organization so that must be it. There must be some side of this average ordinary old man that he wasn't seeing. "Anyways," said the old man, snapping Void's attention back to where it belonged, "prepare the troops we are going to battle."

Void's eyes widened, "we?" he asked.

"That's right. For the first time since its forming all three Gods are to report to the battlefield," he stopped in his tracks and rattled his head as if trying to get ready for what would go down as the biggest bloodshed of all time. "Our quota is one Marine head each…if you can do that then you keep your post if not then you will have to work for it again. You do remember what work is, right?" Void smiled, a biting tongue, so far the man's only redeemable trait. Unless he could get that machine working and the head of a Marine Admiral, Void was pretty much useless to them.

(-Back with Alexander-)

Alexander's teacher paused, focusing on the fight. One of his old pupils and one of the newer ones, both were charging in head-to-head, bringing their concentration to the limits in the hopes of a single turn-around punch. Of course, it was Alexander banking on this blow. He tightened his right fist and began plowing it forward, catching it in his left palm. He was slowly, but steadily building up the tension in his arms, letting his own true power push forward and slowly build up. His opponent was faster, had better technique, and was all-in-all in better health than Alexander, however, even he had to admit it. In terms of strength Alexander had already steadily climbed to a place far above him. Saying you'd win with only one punch was stupid, but Alexander was probably one of the few men capable of doing it.

Especially in this fight. The intruder let out a steady breath, his body was starting to break down on him. His face was turning pale as he looked on, but due to his clothing Alexander couldn't see it. He couldn't see that the opponent he was trying so hard to defeat was already on his last legs. He wasn't an especially healthy boy, he used to get winded just from going up and down a flight of stairs…he had a poor constitution. He was born with one ultimate weakness, the frailty of a human body. He had to overcome it, but rather than trying to stabilize his ultimate weakness he went to cover it up. Speed, technique, he'd suppress any and all power that came at him using the ultimate techniques that he could master. He'd never become the ultimate fighter, he knew that. Even Superhuman status was past his dreams, his body could never summon a Tekkai. Even if by some miracle he did manage to do one, it would be broken instantly. His body was just so weak. He'd just have to go kick it up another notch. With his speed and technique…he'd bury Alexander's power. He began rapidly moving from the left to the right without ever sacrificing his speed.

Alexander was like a giant boulder, his entire body and everything else was being focused behind that one point without moving. Meanwhile his opponent was like the wind, lacking in strength and ferocity, however, he'd still vowed he would take Alexander down. Alexander's teacher was still outside, but a smile cracked over his face. He hoped he understood everything, Alexander was never too good at caring what his opponent's strategy was…fighting back with more power was his way. Relying on his over the top power as well as his incredible defense that was Alexander's fighting style. However, incredible power can sometimes turn around and bite the owner's hand. Unless he could stop Alexander completely all the speed in the world wouldn't do him any good…he only had one option…somehow he needed to destroy Alexander and the play that he decided on was the riskiest one yet.

A counter. He'd take Alexander's punch as a guideline and fire one of his own right down the line, the stronger Alexander made his punch, the more power would be applied to the counter. It was a punch designed to throw an opponent's incredible power right back at him…in other words it was a punch that was basically designed to take Alexander out. He'd throw that unstoppable power of Alexander right against his immovable defense. One of them would definitely break! No…if it was just Alexander's strength, he would probably manage to stand back up in hopes for another exchange…which was why this punch also had all of his strength in it as well. He'd show Alexander up using not only Alexander's strength, but his as well.

And, of course, Alexander welcomed it. He may not have fully understood it, but he knew that this exchange would be the last. He had taken multiple hits from him, but he was still feeling fairly strong. He had the utmost confidence that he would survive any attack thrown at him and come back and win the fight with his ultimate technique. Although calling it that was a stretch. It was basically just pulling all of his strength out over a prolonged period of time and then using it in one motion. It was a risky move…no, it was a stupid move in most cases as it would force Alexander to leave himself open as he charged as well as if his opponent simply dodged the punch he would be sent back to square one. In other words it was a punch that could only be pulled off in such extreme circumstances.

The two set forward for each other. Alexander kept his arms tensed as he moved forward, little by little. If his arms slipped, then he would lose all of the built-up tension. He needed to land the punch with no distractions. His opponent bobbed left and right, moving in at a steady pace everything about him screamed control. He wasn't about to make a mistake now not after having done so well and pushed Alexander so far. The moment when the two of them clashed was almost here and neither side could wait for it. In all honesty, this was the most thrilling clash of their life. Alexander had thought he was ahead in the match due to his heavy punches, but right now…he felt some kind of rising uncertainty…he couldn't help but think he should pull back. However, that wasn't the kind of man Alexander was, now was it? He tucked his head in tighter and charged in. His opponent was finally within range.

It was like a cannon fire went off, the punch buzzed through the air at an incredible rate. However, the other punch was released in the same milli-second. If it was in speed then there was no doubt that he would surpass Alexander, his punch would hit first! Suddenly something happened; a slight amount of some kind of static crossed his mind. Something was off…he didn't know what it was, but something seemed to be weird…he then realized what it was. Alexander was faster than him! Just by a few bare millimeters, but he could look down and see that Alexander's fist was closing in on him. Perhaps Alexander wasn't as slow as he had thought, perhaps he was only slow in the footwork department…maybe in terms of hand speed…maybe then Alexander was faster. Speed, power, defense! There was always this huge of a gap! He understood it…only a man with frightening superior natural talent could defeat Alexander. Or so he thought for some reason his punch hit home! He felt his fist smash into Alexander's head and blow him back, throwing that superior speed and power back in his face. However, he couldn't call it a win. He breathed out heavily as he understood perfectly what had happened. Alexander pulled his punch.

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><p>Ever have one of those weekends where your entire life becomes devoted to other people's problems? That's what I had! For good reason though. A friend of mine is getting divorced and is doing the 'nice guy' thing and leaving his ex-wife the house. So little to say this entire weekend was spent moving my friend.<p> 


	118. Chapter 118 On the Same Crew

**On the Same Crew**

"That's enough," shouted Alexander's teacher as he came barging into the room, "you, gunslinger, take Alexander out to your doctor. That punch was definitely enough to rattle his brain." Specter muttered something under his breath about 'if he had one', but in the end decided that the guy was right and picked Alexander up, which took nearly all of his strength as Alexander was not a light fellow. The two of them quickly went off in search of Dale and who knew where he bolted off to. Alexander's teacher let out a sigh and turned to the intruder. "So, Kobashi…what are your thoughts about Alexander? He came close to killing you with that last punch of his knowingly if he would've went at it without pulling his punch he would've. Your frail body can't take a blow like that."

Kobashi sighed and leaned back, his entire body was worn ragged. He couldn't even move properly…he didn't get hit physically, but he suffered a much worse mental blow. He had seen the punch coming, he may have had a weak body, but his senses were still a notch above the average man. He could see the punch! He saw the full-bodied blow coming at him, and he knew in that instant he would've taken it…but his life had been spared due to Alexander pulling the punch and his pride instead of his body was shattered in that instant. It was hard to know which one he would've preferred. He grabbed his arm and nodded, "well, I think…I think he could handle it all the way to the end." Kobashi's ultimate failure in his mind wasn't this moment, it was the moment when he had failed to complete his master's super hard Spartan training regimen. It was supposed to be a method to rapidly increase all of his talents to the utmost extremes, but…but he had failed it. His body couldn't handle the stress, it had broken down far before he even completed half of the training. "However, I also think he needs to complete it." The teacher nodded. "If he hopes to make it in the Grand Line he needs to cover up all of his weaknesses. I was just too weak to take advantage of them." The old man nodded in agreement. He would've crushed Alexander in .02 seconds if it was him in that match.

"Now the only question is will the rest of his crew join him in the training regimen…or will they sit it out?" he asked, standing up and moving forward. "If even one of his crewmates hold him back during this exercise there's no way living in the Grand Line would become possible." The Grand Line…earlier he had called it a pirate's paradise and a Marine's worse nightmare, perhaps that should be reworded to being a 'weak' Marine's worse nightmare. If you are strong then the Grand Line becomes a paradise of unrivaled potential and if you are weak, well then it becomes a nightmare that only last 2 seconds cause after that you're dead.

(-With Dale-)

"And that's what the Grand Line is like," reported the man on the other side of the Den-Den Mushi, "I lost to a kid." Dale nodded slowly, he couldn't believe his older brother…a man who was put in charge of the soon-to-be number on prison in the world, Zenith Gaol, had lost? It was inconceivable! His older brother Ryan Marrow, nicknamed Apollo in most circles, was talent personified. He had superior physical strength, superior mental strength, superior speed, whenever anybody looked at him…they could only think one word…'superior'. Cause that was the word the described him the best. Overwhelming superior abilities. "And that's why…you should just stay there in the West Blue," said Ryan once more, causing Dale to nearly drop the Den-Den Mushi.

"Wha! Why?" shouted Dale, stomping his foot down. "I'm a Marine, too! I am on my own crew! I…I…" Dale shut down, this was exactly like all those other moments when they had talked. Dale knew he could never compete with Ryan or his big sister, either…they were both the pinnacle of power in the world, one being a supervisor of the prison and the other one a World Government Official of the highest ranking. He could never catch up to them…it was his destiny to be of the lowest rung on the ladder.

However, despite Dale coming to this conclusion himself, it seemed as if his conversation partner had to say it anyways, "because you're weak." Dale closed his eyes, trying to fight back the tears. He didn't want to face it, he didn't want to believe it. He…he wasn't weak. He remembered back to the fight with Kaos, his face still stung from the biting force of his punches. He wasn't weak…he…he wasn't… "face it, talent like yours belongs in the West Blue. Become a good doctor there and call it a day, leave the Grand Line to the professionals."

Become a good doctor…that's right…that was Dale's dream, his goal in life. His goal was to somehow make it to the top rung as a professional doctor, to live up to his family reputation and to not be nuisance to them. However…that was then. He had a whole new goal now and that was something he didn't he could accomplish by just staying in the West Blue. He had to save Olivia! "I'm going to the Grand Line!" declared Dale defiantly. His brother immediately shouted loudly into the phone, telling him to stop being an idiot. "I don't care if that's what you think of me, but I got something I got to do now! And nothing is going to stop me! I'll…I'll make it."

"Hey, doc, sorry to interrupt your phone call, but we got a bit of an emergency on our hands!" shouted Specter as he rushed in to meet with Dale, Dale turned to the gunslinger, noticing the captain on his back and immediately nodding, hanging up the phone without even another word. His brother would just have to deal with it. Those being the last words…they seemed fitting somehow. 'I'll make it.' Yeah…Dale would do just that! Not for the sake of proving his brother wrong, not for the sake of living up to the family reputation, and now…Dale had a inkling that it wasn't even for the sake of curing Olivia…it was for him. He'd make it for himself.

Beth smiled as she came out of the shadows slightly and then quickly walked away from the group, she had been following them to see what was going on. Ever since she heard his teacher defend him, she had to admit her interest in Alexander grew. She had to admit it, she didn't like Alexander. But since she admitted that she had to admit one more thing. He did have one good thing going for him. He seemed to attract incredible crewmates. The loudmouthed, crazed exploding gunslinger, Specter Carambole. A man whose technical genius may just match that of the old Void Furrow when he was his age. The frying pan swinging cook, the woman with the most bravery of anyone on the seas, Reggie Carter. A Marine hailing from the lineage of a man who had sailed alongside both Void Furrow and Veri Fresh, two very respected Marines. And now, there was Dale Marrow. A Marine who had the blood of the greats flowing through his veins, two highly respected Marines carried the same name and now a third one was beginning his rise up. It was amazing that someone like Alexander could somehow rally these forces under his flag…Beth paused for a second as she thought about it…there was perhaps one person who she was forgetting. However, the fact was simple…there was absolutely no proof that she would be coming back to join the crew.

If Specter was the weapon genius, Reggie was the hard-worker, Dale Marrow was the thoroughbred, and Alexander was the man that was born with the sole reason of being a great Marine…then in a way she was the wild card, Rina Mitsukomi Chiran. She had no blood relation to the Marines, she was just a stray an older Marine had picked up, she had outstanding test results and yet rather bland field results. Was something or someone holding her back? Or was she just not able to tap into her full potential yet? Beth paused for a moment she had originally came out here to examine Alexander, see if he had what it took to become a man worthy of being a Marine, however she may have just stumbled onto a bigger question. However, did that question even need to be answered? If Rina stopped here then it didn't, she would fall back as a Marine who couldn't make the cut…she would be one of millions. If she didn't stop…then it was possibly the she would eventually become one of three, she could rise all the way to Marine Admiral status.

(-with Rina-)

Rina was sitting up in the crow's nest of McPhinley's crew while the rest of the Marines scoured it in search of any more signs of trouble. Human Trafficking came with a hefty fine nowadays if done wrong and from the looks of the safe that the women was trapped in and Rina's own reports McPhinley definitely crossed that line. He would be arrested and Alexander's crew would be given a small bonus as a reward for apprehending such a criminal. In all honesty Marines didn't make too much, but they got commissions from hauling in pirates with bounties, usually about ten to twenty percent. It meant very little when they only had a bounty of 1 million, but as you slowly started climbing you'd eventually start raking in pirates with 200 million belie bounties. The Marine Admirals could actually pull in one of these a week, which meant that they got paid more than Alexander did in a month just from commission. Not to mention most pirates with high bounties tended to travel with other pirates of high bounties. Arresting one crew could net you over 100 million belies…possibly more.

However, that money was for the Marines of the crew who arrested them and Rina wasn't one of them. The papers may officially read that she was due to the slow paperwork of Mary Fresh, but that didn't mean much. She had quit. Rina twisted around uncomfortably in the crow's nest, trying to calm down. She felt like her entire body had grown lighter for some reason. She felt like a brand new person. She felt like a Marine again. After all of these days of just being a nobody to the world once again, she realized that she had missed the heart-pounding excitement. She missed the feeling of being alive. She made a few mock punches into the air as if shadow boxing. She knew they wouldn't hit anything, she just wanted to keep that feeling in her fists for as long as possible. She wanted to be a Marine again. She stood up and slid down the crow's nest. The slow paperwork of Mary and even Alexander showing up here trying to take her back…it was all because they knew she wouldn't want to give in that easily. She wanted to be a Marine again. However, there was something else to this as well.

She didn't just want to be any Marine, she knew that right from the get-go. Ever since she enlisted she wanted to be one of the best, however, even now she was afraid that that had fallen to the wayside. There was something she wanted even more than just being the best Marine out there. She wanted to be on Alexander's crew. With him, Specter, and Reggie.

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><p>Speaking strictly I really hate mushy parts like these, they are a vital part of any story, but still they are never quite fun for me. I swear Iron Hammer has the most mushy parts out of any of my stories. I wonder why.<p> 


	119. Chapter 119 Training

**Training**

Alexander, Specter, Reggie, and Dale had gathered on their ship. They were rather quiet, all of their eyes focused on their feet. They were missing someone. Rina still hadn't come back to join them. Alexander sighed, pulling his cap down and over his face. He had tried…he had failed. He wavered for a few seconds. His entire body was telling him to jump off of the ship and rush through the town, find Rina and try once more…that all he needed. Just one more try. He could bring Rina back without anything even resembling a problem. But perhaps it was time he realized it. These things happened…Alexander shrugged it off, turning around and resigning himself to his fate. He would just have to go on without her. Alexander cringed at the notion, but he didn't slow down. Some things he would just have to accept.

She was his first nakama, his first 'partner', and even if he wasn't the one to tell her…she was the 'first' person that knew about his secret outside of the higher-ups. A better way to put it might've been that she was the first person he trusted whole-heartedly. However, that was over now. He looked over at his other three nakama and nodded. They knew what he meant…it was time to get going, it was time to finally leave Rina behind. They paused, hugging the side of the ship for a few more seconds. They didn't want to believe it either, they chose to stay here for as long as possible, holding out to whatever hope they could muster. "Come on, Rina," whispered Reggie as she bit down into her tongue. "Come on."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DRAGGING YOUR BUTT FOR!" shouted Specter, deciding to take the more direct approach than Reggie and deciding to shout it at the top of his lungs…seriously it was the only thing he could think of to do other than open-firing onto the island (which he had to remind himself, Marines didn't do). "Hurry it up! Or we'll leave without yer butt!" Specter screamed again, bracing himself against the railings as he leaned over it and shouted even louder. Alexander paused for a few seconds, looking back at his crew. He smiled, it was nice to know that he wouldn't be the only one who missed her, but nonetheless, they were Marines…they had a job to do. He went over and dropped the sails. This island had strong winds it was only a matter of seconds until one came by and made the sails billow out, slowly beginning to pull the ship out of the docks.

"Rina!" joined in Dale, trying to start a chorus up. Reggie and Specter quickly joined in…only Alexander stayed silent. Their voices were echoing and resounding through the entire town. They wanted her back on their crew. Alexander shook his head and continued to attend to the ship…he didn't want to say it…but, they had lost. He moved on through with his motions, he wouldn't stop to think about it. After all he was the captain…it was his job to be the backbone, the greatest support for his crew possible. He had already lost Akane…while he didn't want to say it…but losing Rina was just another small set-back…he could live with it if he had to. Or at least that's what he told himself. It was taking every ounce of his willpower not to spin around on his heels and join in. He was fighting back every fiber of his body, it a unanimous decision on their part to stay back and wait, join in with his crew, throwing the truth to the wind and shouting for Rina to come back…but…Alexander knew better…she wasn't coming back. He moved back and into the hull of the ship, feeling the ship jerk forward as the fierce winds pushed it forward. Alexander sighed. He wished her the best. But, he couldn't waste any more time here for her. He had his own goals he had to go for. He couldn't stay here any longer, maybe when he was done with them, he'd find her again…tell her all about his tales on the high seas. Make her realize that she should've came along with them.

"ARF! ARF!"

The familiar sound cut through the air. Alexander shook his head, he must've just been hearing things. He just had to keep the ship sailing, he couldn't stay here forever. He had to…he had to forget about her for the time being. "ARF! ARF!" Alexander froze in his steps. Was that? No, he shook his head again. He turned around to see Specter, Reggie, and Dale giving up as well, shuffling down the deck of the ship towards him. Rina wasn't coming back. The deflated look on all of their faces told him, that they too had accepted it. Alexander frowned, turning away one last time. Vowing that he wouldn't turn around for anything else, Rina wasn't coming ba-

"ALEXANDER! WAIT FOR US!"

Alexander spun around on his heels, burning the ground he was standing on with friction alone. He struck out against the ground, pumping his leg forward with his entire might racing across the deck in a flash. The rest of the crew paused, their feet stuck in the mud almost as they turned around. Was it really possible? They all followed Alexander's example in racing, not walking over to the other side of the ship. The ship tilted along with them as if trying to turn around with them. Alexander slid into the railing first, nearly forcing himself over the edge with his momentum, but thankfully he stopped just in time. Alexander paused, looking over the sea and at the shore of the island. There she stood in her Marine's uniform. Her arms thrown down by her side, screaming at the top of her lungs like a child.

"Don't leave without us!"

Alexander nodded, if he wouldn't die doing so he would've jumped into the sea and swam over to her in that instant. Suddenly he felt something heavy slam into him. Specter came sliding into him from behind, Alexander smiled his crew would be back together soon. Suddenly another person rammed into him as Reggie apparently sucked at applying brakes as well. Following her was Dale another completely solid thud into Alexander nearly pushed Alexander off of the railing and into the water, but he held on tight. He had to turn the ship around, take it back to Rina! She was going with them! To the Grand Line! Alexander was soon rushing back to the wheel of the ship, turning it around and directing the ship back into dock. Specter shouted loudly, taking his guns and blowing a continuous stream of Pop Grenades into the air. Reggie wasted no time in bolting downstairs to the prepare a meal…for the first time since the fight against the Grand Line pirates she would actually be preparing a meal for the entire crew, due to Alexander's previous scorn for them kicking him off of his own crew…she casted a casual glance back at him. It was apparent that was the furthest thing from his mind. It was apparent that he accepted it…it wasn't his crew without them. Reggie smiled, knowing it was the same for all of them. With any one of them missing it wasn't their crew…their crew was all five of them together!

The crew was immediately swept up into a new berserk, happily crazed state. They were altogether happily eating, dancing, and joking once more. Dale laughingly fell into order with them, it was the first time all five of them ate by themselves. As soon as Dale had actually joined Rina had left. It made them laugh heartily as they made carefree jokes without any problem. They jeered and laughed throughout the entire meal. However, their little celebration was cut short.

Alexander's teacher was back and had decided to join them in the eating of their food…and he was quite happy to share in his pupil's delicious entrees, scooping several plates up and into his mouth at a time. "What are you here for?" asked Alexander, still not pleased with his teacher's appearance. However, the old man paid him little to no heed, after all in terms of rank he was higher…and he was too preoccupied with Alexander's food to reply to the actual owner of the food. He piled another series of chicken legs into his mouth, eating more than the rest of the crew combined, quickly forcing Reggie to go back into the kitchen to prepare another series of dishes.

"I'm here to give you your next mission," he said wiping a streak of grease from his mouth. The entire crew's eyes widened, even Alexander seemed to have his interested piqued as it was his old master asking for help. He had to admit, he liked the delicious irony of it. Alexander leaned back, smiling at the offer, waiting for the mission. The man smirked, opened his arms and said with the straightest face imaginable. "You are to survive two weeks of my most intensive training curriculum." The entire crew looked at each other for a few seconds as if trying to fully understand the news, until Specter decided to cut in.

"Two weeks? Sorry, but that's not a whole lot of time," he moaned, "I mean aren't we going to the Grand Line right after that. Suddenly leveling up in just two weeks is physically impossible. It is one of the reasons for incredibly long off-times in sports. Even boxers, the most 'barbaric' competitive sports fighters, only have about 4 fight a year, so that means for four days they train for the remaining 360. Two weeks definitely won't be enough to suddenly re-invent ourselves and turn all of us into fighting machines. Everybody secretly knew that by that he meant that he couldn't change in just two weeks. In terms of physical training Specter was the one that shirked the most. He wasn't unfit by any standards, it was just that he would rather be creating bombs or gambling than training…and for the most part he got away with it.

"You're right," conceded the master, "Honestly, I would've liked to have train you longer, but sadly we are on a tight schedule. So, we'll just have to train twice as hard." He smiled and offered his open arms to the crew, more than happy to dispel their beliefs about his training course. He had worked hard on it, it would shape these Marines into excellent fit bodies…even though from the look on Specter's face that wasn't exactly his ideal scenario…as a matter of fact…it looked like he rather liked not working out. But nonetheless, he thought back to Byakko a man who had fought in the Grand Line and was subsequently forced out due to the small size of their crew. He looked over at his crew and immediately realized that their crew wasn't much bigger. Not only that, but none of them could actually be considered the best or the strongest by a long shot. Sieryu and Suzaku's Devil Fruit powers would definitely be a pain to face in the hands of more experienced opponents.

"I refuse," stated Alexander plainly. The crew immediately went wide-eyed, surprised by Alexander's straight-forward refusal of the offer. After all, Alexander was usually the most reckless and willing to jump head-long into trouble and yet this time…he was avoiding it? It wasn't at all what they were expecting, especially considering these two were once mentor and student.

"Oh, well," said the master seemingly equally surprised, however, he wound up sighing and shrugging it off. "I suppose I should've seen such a thing coming. You never really much liked me, did you?"

"You made me haul baby elephants up mountains!"

"But you survived."

"You threw me into a pit of angry wolves!"

"But you survived."

"You fired cannonballs at me!"

"But you survived."

"Whatever I still refuse!" Alexander said, crossing his leg and puffing out his chest. Alexander's little outburst, while not professional, definitely changed the rest of the crew's perspective…two weeks with this mad man? There was no way they could survive that! They all sheepishly backed up and quickly deciding to refuse his offer as well.

"Oh, well," said the master as he sighed and lifted up a small Den-Den Mushi. "Okay, bring her up." A loud rumbling coming from beneath their ship made the crew rush outside in a few seconds. They stood up on the deck as a circle of giant walls soon shot up around the, imprisoning them in a new area. Soon even the water beneath their ship disappeared as a new platform appeared, a grassy wilderness that stretched for probably three miles in all directions. "I was hoping you'd agree to this, so I wouldn't have had to force you to participate. Oh, well!" Despite his words, he didn't seem upset at all…as a matter of fact he was still wearing a goofy almost excited, child-like expression.

"Yeah, right!" shouted Alexander, jumping on the table and pointing his finger down at the man, "you were expecting this from the get-go! You knew I would refuse you! You just wanted to torture me and my crew with your insane training regimen!"

"Eh, you'll probably survive."

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><p>I don't know if you're going to be surprised at all the insane things Alexander's teacher did. I mean, I'm pretty sure Garp probably did similar training for Luffy, but oh well.<p> 


	120. Chapter 120 Higher Class Training

**Higher Class Training**

The teacher stood a few feet away from them as he hefted up to them a series of buckets. "Here's the deal. To complete this training," which they were all forced to participate in. They were all beginning to feel sorry for Alexander who had to put up with this during his days as a young cadet...heck, he had to deal with this from year 1. Before he even had one year in this world, before he tasted ice cream, before he kicked his first pirate butt, hell, before he had his first kiss (which he still hadn't, but...that's besides the point) he had put up with his teacher's insane training regimen...and insane ways to force his hands. "You have to survive." This caused everybody's ears to perk up. Just survive? That seemed a bit too easy...especially for him forcing them to do so. "Oh, its too easy, you say?" asked the teacher, "here's the thing. You have no food, my other students have already seen to it that your refrigerator has been cleared out." Reggie leapt forward and aimed her gun at his head.

"You don't touch a chef's fridge without their permission, you understand me?" she asked, with a low growl. Out at sea food was sacred to pirates, to marines, to bounty hunters...and most importantly to chefs. A food wasn't just your way of replenishing your energy as a chef it was your livelihood. For a chef there were three things you didn't touch. Her knife, her hands, and her food. Even more than a hungry bear, a chef is to protect her food. It is a chef's job to keep her crew well-fed...in other words if you run out of food it is the chef's fault and the chef's fault only. And Reggie wasn't going to have any one die of hunger on this ship.

"Relax," chuckled the man as he grabbed a hold of her gun and twisted it (along with her arm) out of the way. "I'll return your food to you when this training is done in two weeks." Reggie growled at him, some of their food wouldn't last two weeks. High-priced and high-quality milk loses its taste quickly, the vegetables in there were losing their taste with every passing moment! There was an incredibly small window of opportunity for cooking ingredients at their best. "However, until then you will have to hunt and forage for your own food on my personal training ground." They looked out their windows and at the new forest landscape that surrounded them.

"I'm fitting to shoot you right here and now," muttered Specter. "You take our food and then you expect us to hunt and forage for it like some kind of cavemen. Give me one good reason why not to shoot you right here, right now?!" The teacher chuckled and shook his head. He looked over and smiled at Alexander.

"Your crew has good energy." Alexander didn't crack a smile at that comment. The thing was...he wasn't impressed. Something else was coming. "Right..." he frowned, Alexander still didn't like him...but unlike Veri Fresh, he didn't care. It wasn't his job to make friends with Alexander...it was his job to turn Alexander into a capable Marine...and that's what he was going to do. "I'll give you a good reason to shoot me." Without waiting for a moment Specter fired, nearly blowing the header of the master off if he hadn't have dodged...instead the Pop Grenade ended up embedding itself into the side of the ship and nearly blowing the wall off...actually it DID blow a hole in the wall.

"You already gave me enough," shouted Specter as he angrily reloaded, but Dale and Rina grabbed a hold of him, crying out loud that they do not have a shipwright to fix the holes that he would undoubtedly make. Specter grumbled, managing to fit another Pop Grenade into his launcher, but not managing to aim it.

"Every hit you land on me, I will give you five rations," declared the teacher, "That's enough for each of you for one day. You have one hour." Somehow Specter managed to load another Pop Grenade and fire it at him despite Rina's and Dale's cries. However, there was no explosion. The teacher smiled as he handed the Pop Grenade back to Specter. He caught it in midair...without applying enough pressure to the grenade to force it go off. Specter grumbled beneath his breath, but in the end he understood what Alexander had meant...this guy was on a whole different level than them. "Don't worry about it I'll go easy on you...fifteen percent should do." His hair slowly began to return to its golden state from before, but it stopped about halfway, leaving it an incredibly dull, almost sickly blonde color.

"Life Return," explained Alexander. "Its an incredibly powerful technique that allows one person to control their own body down to the faintest hair. In his instance it allows him to temporarily regain the power he had when he was in his prime. Doing so revitalizes every cell in his body, however, the toll is it takes an incredible amount of energy. So he tends to eat a lot."

"Still," said Dale as he walked up to Alexander finally letting go of Specter, who was still mumbling beneath his breath. "Fifteen percent, isn't that going kind of easy on us?" he asked. After all that was about one percent for each of them. It seemed like to him they were worth at least twenty. Of course, without a doubt Rina would say 30, airing on being cautious. Reggie was a little more reckless, she would probably go up to 35...Specter would be a loud mouth and say 200%...but Alexander...Alexander knew him well, surely Alexander would be able to give them a proper appraisal.

"Honestly..." muttered Alexander, "15 seems like he's over-doing it." The crew was a little taken back by this note...surely Alexander was just pulling their chain. 15 percent, come on...that was like 3% for each of them...no, it was like 4% for Alexander and 2% for the rest of them. "Honestly, I've never pushed him past 2%." The crew was even more taken back...2...2%...was he really that strong. "Let's just go hunt," Alexander muttered, the crew looked at him. "Fighting him for an hour, costs an hour that could be used for hunting as well as forces us to burn energy in a hopeless fight." 14 hits...that would be the number of hits it would take for them to get enough food to last the entire training regimen without having to hunt...it seemed like an unreasonably low number, but to Alexander it seemed nigh impossible.

"I'll do it," shouted a voice, standing their ground against the teacher's challenge. They had accepted the gauntlet, regardless of their captain's warning. The teacher whistled for a second, impressed, but also accepting that this was mostly because they were unaware of his strength...give him ten minutes to change that. The person who had defiantly shouted that was Rina. "Y-you're underestimating us," declared Rina, once more puffing out her chest. Alexander flinched at that...didn't she hear him? "Alexander says he only managed to push you to 2% right? Well, then in that case he'll push you to at least 50% this time! He's grown more than you can imagine since I met him!"

"I think you're selling our captain short," muttered Specter as he took aim at the teacher with his Pop Grenade Launcher, "That 50% should be 70!"

"80!" declared Reggie.

"90!" joined in Dale.

The four of them all shared the same devious look in their eyes, "99!" they declared unanimously. The teacher smiled and took a short step back, a little taken back by their spirit. They worked well together. Not a single one of them was lacking in spirit...he looked over at Alexander along with them...all of them expecting the 100 to come from him as he joined in on their rally.

"No...two percent sounds about right," said Alexander as he leapt over the railing of their ship and onto the grassy terrain to go hunt. 100%, yeah, right...Alexander saw that man at two percent once...it was a thing of nightmares...a demon unleashed. Fists stronger than cannonballs, abominable muscles tougher than steel, legs faster than the wind...it was a monster. Alexander may not be 'human', but that man overwhelmed even 'super-humans', monster was an insult to him. Alexander knew better than recklessly betting his hide in a fight with him.

The teacher smiled...fear. Alexander had probably unknowingly planted the same thing in every man he ever met. That kind of inhuman strength was insane and beyond normal. A normal human who took a punch would be knocked out, clueless...and those who weren't would face the knowledge that another one was coming there way. Another ridiculous punch. Apparently he had implanted such a feeling into Alexander without even trying. All those years training with him wasn't to help him build strength, it was to help him build a backbone. Alexander's short time on this world meant he rarely came face-to-face with a challenge. The teacher shook his head about to turn around and leave when he noticed something strange.

His crew was still there.

"You're looking down on our captain, aren't you," muttered Rina, taking a swift step forward. Her hesitation seems to have vanished. The man took another slight back step. Interesting, even after their captain admitted it himself, they still seemed to have some kind of odd belief in him. He rallied them to his side and it looked like they refused to leave even after he said they could...how nice it must be to have such allies on your side. He laughed at the thought. Another Pop Grenade came whizzing by his head as if trying to threaten him, but he dodged it with ease. "We may not be as strong as our captain, but we'll prove our captain's strength to you with or without him!" The teacher chuckled and rolled his neck around...he's going to enjoy this. He'd give them the first move...it was only fair. And, of course, without a second thought Specter took advantage of the open shot. A quick shot without a moment's hesitation, despite seeing how ineffective against him it was last time...he supposed there was something to say for him not giving up. Still it was embarrassing. He wasted no time, applying a quick burst of speed behind him and accelerating forward, cutting it in close to his opponent without stopping. He dove beneath the Pop Grenade and was in front of Specter in seconds. He accelerated forward, instantly transferring his weight around in a hook and instantly tearing Specter a new one. The velocity of his hook alone was enough to send Specter flying even if he was only at 15%.

Specter roared, quickly grabbing a hold of his launcher once more taking aim as he landed on the ground, firing an insane quick burst at his opponent. Of course, once more it only took a couple of seconds for the master to completely avoid the shot, but he soon found Rina taking the high road...literally. Rina had leapt through the air, twisting around applying her weight behind her attack. It may have been a large gamble in the end, but she doubted her opponent even had a chance of avoiding it! He was still in an awkward position after knocking Specter's shot aside. Of course, here it came crashing down like an axe! A sweeping downwards chop with her Chakram! However, it was hopelessly blocked. The teacher brought his leg up and used the heel of his shoe to block the downwards crashing blow. And of course, like all good fighters he wouldn't stop it there. He flipped his kick around, pivotin from one foot to the other and bringing his kick in like a swing, easily cutting Rina off and sending her careening to the side. Indeed 2% seemed like a reasonable estimate. The man was insanely strong.

* * *

><p>While I personally hope a lot of my other stories are already showing improvements I know for a fact that this story is still a long ways from that. I'm not going to rewrite three stories to keep them up to date with an improved writing style, so you'll just have to wait a little while longer for it to appear here.<p> 


	121. Chapter 121 Memories of Master's

**Memories of Master's Training**

Alexander slammed his foot into the ground, quickly pivoting, a powerful sideways swinging kick brought his heel into his opponent, a lean wolf with his tongue rolling out of his mouth. Alexander brought leg back and to his side before utilizing his momentum once again to launch a powerful hook into the wolf's body and sending it flying back. Wolves tended to hunt in packs...including the fearsome monster in front of him an Army Wolf truly had Alexander been facing off against a pack of them he wouldn't stand a chance, but one-on-one Alexander was beginning to realize his odds of winning were actually fairly high. Alexander lowered his weight and shot forward like a rocket intending to land the finishing blow in that instant. He remembered the first time he had ran into one of these things, it was during another one of his teacher's insane training regimen.

(-Two years ago-)

Alexander was younger, but due to his 'birthing methods' there wasn't too much of a difference in his appearance. Alexander was up against an Army Wolf here as well, the hunched over body, its hair standing on end, its long pink tongue gently rolled out over its sharp white teeth. Its eyes a delirious yellow. The wolf lunged forward, digging his vicious teeth into Alexander's arms. Alexander gritted his teeth for a second, trying to block out the sharp pain in his arm. Alexander swung his arm downwards and into the wolf's head using his elbow as the point of contact, he smashed the wolf's skull in and forced the wolf off of him. Alexander skidded back a few feet as he looked at the wolf, who didnt' seem much worse off for the wear. This definitely wasn't a fair fight! The wolf was a fiend that continually lunged at him and all of this was after Alexander had trained! Alexander had just ran multiple laps and then his teacher threw this little cretin at him! Alexander grunted, throwing his two arms up and in front of his face, barreling forward at the little beast of burden.

"Weak," said Alexander's teacher as he stepped onto the field and in-between them. Unlike before when the Army Wolf was lunging and acting like a maniac, it seemed to recoil, withdraw from the teacher. "You can simply exert your superiority with just a glance...I don't even need that. My mere presence is enough." He spared the wolf another glance, which caused it to recoil even further, but it didn't run away, it was paralyzed into behaving exactly as he wanted. Its fear quickly and almost immediately overcoming all motor functions. "Of course, such control over your enemies comes second only to control over your own body. You must learn how to fight as not all opponents will succumb to your will and spirit!" He leaned forward towards Alexander, "are you going to succumb to mine?"

Alexander screamed, launching himself forward at his own teacher. He was foolish back then, but still...he appreciated the effort to prove his teacher wrong. It was better than what he was doing now...of course, he got promptly beatened while the teacher didn't even transcend 2%...the dreaded mark of his superhuman powers. He had stated it briefly when he first introduced himself to Alexander. The 2% mark was approximately 500 Douriki and 10 Douriki was said to be the point at which a normal man could obtain. His power was more than 50x that of a normal human...an ordinary everyday Fishman could give him trouble at this form...but against them he'd probably step his game up.

However, even when Alexander did hit the limit, he never seemed to push his teacher past that 2% some kind of self-formed inhibitor was built into him at that point. Even though Alexander's Douriki was approximated to be about 600 when he left the academy...with Olivia's trailing behind at 200 and Kaos' apparently going to 550.

(-Present time-)

Alexander rustled his head and turned around, looking down the path and towards his ship. He indeed hoped his crew was fairing for the best...maybe a hit or two was possible with the four of them. He supposed they could probably keep him on his toes, get a couple of lucky shots in...an hour was more than enough time to do that. Alexander looked down at his 'captured' meal. The Army Wolf now sufficiently beaten. Alexander decided that the meal was probably enough for him for now...maybe he'd go back and lend some moral support to his crew.

Of course, a rousing vision of success wasn't what awaited Alexander...he didn't fully expect it to be, but still...he was holding out hope for one hit...one tiny hit, however, based on the bored look on his teacher's face not even that had come out to be true. Alexander gritted his teeth and stayed by the railing, debating about joining the fight again. He shook his head and shrugged it off, surely they would soon realize he was right. However, it looked like Alexander was in for a lot of surprises today. Rina and Specter despite being knocked down again and both sporting more than their fair shares of bruises were both quick to stand back up...and Reggie was busy trying her best at holding off the teacher from continuing his rush upon her fallen comrades. Dale was on standby, ready to rush in and heal his own teammates or in the worst case scenario take up Reggie's place as the wall.

Soon Reggie was blown back causing Dale to rush over to her, examining her for any immediate treatments that were necessary and prompting Rina to rush and go on the offense against the teacher...the fight was already beginning to take an obvious toll on her. The stress of the fight as well just something as simple as the stamina loss from constantly being on the offense and defense were beginning to show. However, for the teacher who was barely even exhausting 15% of his power was obviously in the lead in both scenarios. He was taking his time with them, it was obvious that that 15% was stated with the thought of another person fighting. The four of them were barely managing to push him. Alexander crept over a little bit more, trying to keep his eyes on them.

The fight was a bit off. Perhaps it was just that it was four-on-one, but there definitely seemed to be a bit of a lag in his teacher's movements. He wasn't fully managing to keep pace with all four attacks. However, despite this slight lag in his movements he still hadn't been hit once even simultaneous attacks have failed. Alexander turned around ready to back away and try hunting again, but he couldn't help but pause in his steps as he couldn't resist the urge to look around and continue watching for a few more moments. Its funny, but he was rarely ever an observer. It seemed like he spent most of his life fighting, however, he spent very little of it actually watching another person's fight. He tried to put himself in the shoes of his friends, but it was very difficult as each of them adopted a different fighting style. It was amazing!

Reggie rushed in head-long, but unlike Alexander she relied heavily on speed to avoid punches while Alexander took the hits with a hardened guard. Once she was in range, however, she twisted around, throwing all of her weight and power into one blow. Once that blow was done and over with she had to back away though or else she would be in a disadvantageous position. It was amazing she put her life on the line again and again for one swing...Alexander never backed down once he got in that zone. It was an exhilarating sight to see her continuously push forward through enemy territory, risking her life for one swing before backing up and repeating the process...agin and again.

Specter's way of fighting was completely foreign to Alexander. The concept of guns was never very present in Alexander's mind. He always preferred hand-to-hand combat, but still it was exciting to view that, too. Specter backed up, wheeling away from the fight on his heels taking his distance! Alexander, on the other hand, always rushed forward. His shots were just as fast as one of Alexander's punches...and Alexander could testify as he took a couple of those explosions, but they were just as strong as his punches as well. The thought of using a gun, taking your distance, protecting your hide, all while not cutting back on your physical force by an ounce must've been logged as impossible in his brain.

Dale was busily rushing between the men as they were thrown back. He was the symbol of a combat medic. He was moving swiftly through the field, treating every second as if it was precious. The instant he skidded next to his patient, his hands went to work. He may be lacking in confidence, but he definitely wasn't short on talent. His hands were swift with his scalpels and stitches. Once he got them mended up, he slapped them on the back, letting them quickly get back on their feet and letting them get back in the fight like they wanted.

Next to all of them...Alexander supposed his fighting style was most similar to Rina. She also liked close quarters combat...not as close as Alexander did, but still she usually bolted forward, sticking to close-range and only sometimes backing off and when she did she usually jolted right back to the front lines. However, the way they fought was still different once they got in close...Alexander planted his feet and swung with all of his power. Rina's feet however were rarely planted. Her feet swung rather than stepped, her upper body danced like a leaf in the wind...Alexander was much more flat-footed. No matter how often Alexander tried he couldn't dance like that. There was a large difference in their talents and styles.

Alexander looked down at his fist, suddenly making up his decision. Rather than trying to put himself into their places he supposed...it would be better for him to just...

"**100!" **shouted Alexander as he came down from above with a massive stomp straight down aimed at his head. The teacher paused for a second barely being aware of the incoming attack, he made a quick step backwards, propelling himself backwards from the attack causing it to miss by a few inches. However, the strength Alexander had pumped into the attack managed to smash the floorboards with ease. "Sorry, I guess I came in a little late, huh?" stated Alexander attempting to brush the fact that he ran away under the carpet. "Let's go!" Alexander pumped his arms up and into the air.

The rest of the crew immediately nodded glad to have their captain back. The teacher even grimaced slightly. It seemed like having their captain back managed to reignite their spirit. Alexander took lead, charging in like a mad bull. Rina immediately followed behind him. With Specter taking up the rear, loading up a grenade with near superhuman hand speed. However, such an obvious ploy wasn't enough to take down the teacher, he was a much more advanced fighter. Nothing short of something amazing could take him down. It was obvious that Alexander was taking point, planning on drawing his fire and temporary driving a small opening in his guard which Rina would take advantage of. He stood open ready to strike Alexander down with one blast. However, to his surprise...Rina bolted to the side, no intention of interfering...she was the decoy, not Alexander. Alexander planted his feet, swinging widely and bringing his fist in with all of his strength. His first punch echoed loudly as it came into contact with his guard, forcing his arm open and knocking it to the side. His eyes went wide quickly realizing that Alexander had indeed broke past the 2% mark. Hell...he was beginning to believe that at this point even 10% wouldn't be enough to hold Alexander back. He had stepped up to the plate with some kind of new power...he had grown more than he could ever have imagined! Alexander's second punch scorched inwards, smashing into his liver and causing a surefire change in his face.

(-At the end of the hour-)

"Crap," moaned Alexander as he laid back, breathing heavily. The full hour was up and they had only managed to land that one blow in his side. Ever since then Alexander and the crew could barely pry another small opening in his guard, the element of surprise was vital in creating that opening. They shrugged it off and rolled over, quickly standing up and moving away on their own. One day's worth of rations along with the little amount of food Alexander had scrapped together. They supposed it was to be expected they weren't going to win or anything. The man was considered a superpower in the world by himself. They couldn't expect too much.

"Sorry Alexander," sighed Rina and the rest of them hung their heads as well. Alexander right all along. If they had all gone hunting like he had suggested they would've made a lot more food than they did by fighting with him. True they got enough rations for one day, but still...it wouldn't be enough. Alexander was right, they should've gone hunting it wasn't worth it. And, of course, Rina had decided it would indeed be best to state it and let him know that he was right, "I'm sorry, we should've..."

"Done everything you did," interrupted Alexander looking over the sea, he sighed briefly, but he kept smiling as he did so, despite their overwhelming lost. "I was the one that was wrong." Alexander stood up and spun his arm around in the air trying to get all the tension out of it. "Trust me," he muttered as he stopped, looking down at his fist and smiling even wider. "That one punch into his gut was well worth all the pain and trouble it took us. It really made my day." Rina chuckled and sighed, shrugging off Alexander's rather one-track mind. It was amazing how obsessed he could be with even something as simple as that. One hit, it was something stupidly simple. However, no matter how much Rina thought about it, it fit him well. Something as stupidly simple as that...that was Alexander. "I guess I'll go try and gather some food," offered Alexander moving towards the boards ready to go back to the ground, however, his teacher quickly cut him off.

"This is a training regimen, remember?" he stated, "which means on top of hunting for food you must also complete the challenges and tasks I lay out for you. And don't think for even a second that you can use the 'but I just fought you and I'm tired' excuse, there were five of you. You shouldn't be tired with such an overwhelming advantage." Alexander glared up at him, knowing this was once again an elaborate ruse to make him train against his will. Alexander had done it all when he was first dumped off of at the Marine Academy under this psychopath's watch, however, he had since learned that he didn't have to do it. The only reason Alexander was put under this madman's watch, forced to do the insane tasks was because of something as simple as the fact that they believed him to be capable of 'not dying' while trying. Of course, knowing this there was quite possibly only one thing Alexander could say.

"Bring it."

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><p>Yeah, yeah, yeah. the teacher is just that frickin' powerful, but let's face it. I don't think I would even put Alexander at Luffy's pre-Sabaody level and the teacher could probably easily handle a Pacisfista and possibly even an Admiral.<p> 


	122. Chapter 122 After-Effects

**After-Effects**

Two weeks had passed very quickly, they were rarely given a day off. Their days were filled with horrible hours of horrible training. Their sleeping hours were reduced to a mere four hours while the rest of them was spent hunting. Their energy supplies were nearing their end they finally saw it. Large rocks jutted out of the sea at every corner, all of the water was littered with the jagged pillars of stone sticking out of it. It was both a blessing and a curse. The curse was, of course, the rocks were difficult terrain to cover, but even worse was the rapids that were created. The slightest current that went through here was forced around the rocks, spiraling completely out of control forming dangerous rapids that threatened to smash any incoming ships against the rocks. It looked like a death sentence to any ship less than the best navigator.

However, as stated it was also a blessing. In the East Blue the same part of this sea was often referred to as the Calm Belt. However, such a calm sea was also the perfect nesting place for Sea Kings. Luckily, due to the horrid rocks and crazy rapids even Sea Kings stayed away from this place. Indeed it was a mixed blessing. No Sea Kings, but they were replaced with crazy rapids. Besides there was only one place in the West Blue that was as crazy at this...the transition point. The point where the West Blue ended. The entire crew stood there for a few more seconds looking up at the incredible rocky mountains before them. The Reverse Mountain range. The point where the West Blue became the Grand Line, there was a thin line in-between them. And they were just barely on the cusp of it. They paused for a second looking at the giant mountain range.

This was it. They became Marines in this sea...they rose through the ranks in this sea. They were thankful for all the good times they had in this sea, meeting each other, the work they put into it. They had tried their hardest all the way through until the end...it was shocking to think about it. But here they were ready to move onto the next sea., they are moving from the West Blue and straight into the Grand Line. They all looked at each other and nodded. They were ready for this. They were ready to become real Marines.

"A p-pirate's paradise," laughed Rina nervously, thinking back to all of the horror stories she had heard before. Here they were, going into something as dangerous and deadly as this. It was quite possibly the biggest jump in their careers they'll ever make. The pirates will be like never before. Things like Devil Fruits will become child's play. Alexander's fruit will no longer be a definitive edge. Not to mention the overall powers of the enemy pirates will go up another level. Seiryu and his crew were definitely another degree of pirates and this sea would be filled with them and not just small groups of four pirates, maybe five, six, ten, or even a hundred pirates on a single crew. The number advantage will be against them unless they could form a real crew...five men were actually a very small number. A navigator, marksman, chef, and doctor.

"Eh, just all the more asses for us to kick!" bellowed Specter laughing away their worries. They were ready for this and they all knew it, but here it was...the wall of their career. The bane of many Marines and pirates alike. Probably for every pirate who really did make the Grand Line their paradise, there a hundred Marines who were left defeated in their wake. But the same could be said for any high-ranking Marine. 'Just kick the opponent's ass' the most primal rule of the sea held true even there.

"Forget about the pirates for a second," mentioned Reggie, "just imagine the seas and the sights." The climate, make-up, the entire way of the sea was different. Currents that touched the sky, mountains that move, goldfish that swallow islands, more terrifying tales of the sea than you could believe. Things that even the pirates of the infernal seas couldn't match up to. Of course, there were also tales of the most beautiful flowers, the most scrumptious foods, all of that awaited them now. Their real journey began now.

"One thing's for certain," muttered Dale looking away from them, "this a new page in our rise to glory." That's right. Its not just a completely new sea, its not just something that'll turn them on their heads, it was just a small step as well. One small step towards them becoming the best amongst the Marines.

"We're ready." Alexander said plainly. The rest of the crew paused, turning their attention away from the mountain range and down at their crew. They nodded. They were ready.

Their goal was a small gap in the mountain range. It was said that the ocean had originally been whole, but a certain Marine had blown a whole in the mountain for his own ship to get through. The result was that the mountain broke apart and the sharp rocks fell into the sea. Forming the dangerous seas in front of it. Of course, such a thing was just ridiculous legend. A thing of myth.

"Love how things turn out, don't you?" asked the teacher as he came up behind them, patting them all on the back with his massive hand. "Enemies coming up at twelve o'clock." The crew raised their eyebrow and looked out again over the sea. What was he talking about? There wasn't a ship or anything coming up. Where was the enemy? "And here they are."

"**Sniper Round 1."** Suddenly a tremendously solid blast of water shook their ship, rocking it back and forth as it came into contact with it. The crew scanned the sea what the hell just fired upon them, however, the only thing they saw was more sea...and more rocks. Who just open-fired on them?

"Fishmen," growled Specter as he took up his Grenade Launcher, "I didn't see him or anything, but what else could've fired upon us? "The only thing around us is sea and that bolt was definitely made of water. Probably an Archer Fish Fishman."

"Nice observation, but simply reading the newspaper for the last two weeks would've told you the same thing." The teacher explained, however, the crew looked coldly at him. The majority of them would've read the paper (except maybe Specter would've only have read the funnies). "There were more than one instance in this part of the sea of a group of Fishman sinking ships and then selling the parts on the blackmarket. They were officially given bounties. The five of them have bounties that total 90 million...should be child's play for you guys now." The crew all felt slightly uneasy about this...after all they were Fishmen...and this was their turf. Homefield advantage was never a good thing to let your opponent have.

"Eh, whenever something goes wrong, blow it up," said Specter, basically preaching his way of life. He stepped up and sat down on the railing, aiming down at the water with his Pop Grenade. He quickly fired one into the water. The crew saw the slightest dash of darkness beneath the water's surface dart away moments before the explosion. "Ooh, I should make a 'shooting fish in the barrel' joke right about now, shouldn't I?"

"Do it when we are done," shouted Alexander as he moved towards the railing and leapt down, landing on one of the rocks and quickly taking up an offensive position, readying himself for the incoming onslaught of Fishmen. And sure enough before he even had enough time to blink they were upon him. The first one shot for him like a torpedo, speeding like a rocket with its jaws wide open, obviously some kind of Shark Fishman...however, bringing the fight to Alexander was appreciated at this moment as Alexander was certainly not going into the water. A massive sweeping kick came around, smashing into the Fishman's head and swatting him out of the water for a brief shining instant...which was more then enough for Specter to follow up with his own shot...a quick powerful explosion right into the Fishman's gut.

"I'll just shrink ta' bolt," said the Archer Fishman as he took aim at Alexander more than aware that he couldn't move all too well on the rocks. The smaller the bolt the more force would be applied to a smaller radius and its destructive power would go up. He couldn't pierce the ship's hell before with his shot, but with this one...he was confident he could pierce even iron. Sadly he never got the chance to do it. A sweeping upwards motion came from nowhere, smashing into his lower jaw with the sharp rim of a Chakram. The Fishman was tossed into the air, but it was only there for a brief second as Reggie was soon on top of him as well as Rina, bringing the Fishman back into the water.

However, that was only two out of five. Actually make that three out of five. Dale quickly located one of the Fishmen, he charged in like a real warrior. Covering the ground like a leaf without too much stress on the water, almost as if he was running on top of it. As soon as he was within striking range he struck out. Five quick fleeting blows. The first one was a swift kick to the sternum, that forced the air free from his opponent's diaphragm. The second was a quick, yet powerful jab to his opponent's chest, resonated with his heart, causing his entire body to freeze up. The third and final strike was a kick thrown straight upwards, aimed at his opponent's throat. If such a location was struck hard enough it was possible to close it and kill your opponent, of course, Dale had enough knowledge to hold back. And resist any slight urge to kill him.

"Well, that's three," muttered Alexander as he moved back to the ship taking care not to fall in at this point he was ready to just leave. He was fairly certain he had already proven that his crew was stronger than them. However, he was a Marine, he couldn't just leave these criminals swimming around.

"Oh yoo-hoo, heroes," sang a young voice from around them. It sounded odd, but Alexander and the rest of the crew decided to pay it some attention anyways, maybe it was someone wanting to thank them for their hard work. They paused as they saw the source. "Mind coming over here and help me rub some suntan lotion in, huh?" They finally found the source. The upper body was human, but the lower body was a healthy green fish tail that flipped into the air, the sun reflecting off of the small water droplets slowly dripping down it. It was a mermaid! An ugly mermaid...wait, no it was a male mermaid...in a bikini...

"Stop manhandling me, you mean Marines! I'm a mermaid we have rights, too! Or are you Fishman haters, too? Are you going to sell me as a sex slave?"

"NOBODY WOULD BUY YOU!" shouted Specter, throwing him into the cell with the rest of them, who were all slightly upset to see that another one of the crew mates were captured.

"Hmm...nice job," whistled the teacher as he came in and gave the prisoners a look-over. "You guys caught four out of five of them. Impressive, especially in the time that you managed to do so, but...you guys let the big fish get away."

"Not our fault," muttered Alexander, "if they don't come out of the water to get us we can't find them, they are too fast in the water. If they want to run away, fat lot we can do to catch them." The teacher sighed and shrugged.

"Remember how at the beginning of this awful mess I said together they had a total combined bounty of 90 million?" The crew nodded. "Together these four have a combined total bounty of...5 million." The crew's reaction was basically split between laughing at the fact that they all had such small bounties between them and the realization that the one they let get away had a bounty of 85 million. "The man is an Electric Eel Fishman, nicknamed Delrado. He has one foot firmly planted in the Black Market and the other...in a certain assassination organization you know well. The man has had several interactions with Taka...and he has pulled off quite a large reputation with them."

"And how do you know this?" asked Alexander. Taka was supposed to be a hidden organization, they only knew of them due to an unfortunate incident, but if this Delrado was really a member of Taka and everybody knew about it...it wasn't really secret was it.

"I suppose you're right, but trust me...he has told the World Government all about it for a substantial sum," explained the teacher, "he's someone who will sell his own teammates down the river if it means he'll survive or for money. However, he also hates the World Government. His allegiance is to whoever is the highest bidder."

(-With Delrado-)

Delrado was like a brick house. At least 9 feet tall, he had to duck beneath doorways in order to get into buildings. He sat down, crossing his legs and smiling at his business partner. A man dressed in a stark white suit. The man pulled his hat down over his eyes, he, too, looked confident. The man known as White and the Fishman Delrado. There was only one thing they had to talk about. Business.

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><p>I'm going to be honest, I don't much care for training sequences unless they are montages set to Eye of the Tiger and since I lack the ability to telepathically communicate a song to my readers, I just decided to skip it.<p> 


	123. Chapter 123 Delrado!

**Delrado!**

Delrado smiled and took his jacket off, revealing a thick and well-built physique...no, not quite built. His body was definitely that of someone who never trained. It was obvious that all of his muscles were just god's gift to him. He probably worked out very little and spent most of his time gambling and fighting. He pulled his thick-rimmed black glasses down off of his eyes and widened his smile until his row of thick pure white teeth shown to his opponent. "My favorite card game is Black Jack, my favorite color is yellow, I like rainy days, my birthday is November 27th, my favorite food is sharkfin soup, I..."

"Nobody asked you to introduce yourself Delrado," moaned White. Delrado was a man with loose morals...and even looser lips. Of course, Taka had known of Delrado's many dealings with the Marines. They even set some of those up. Delrado was a great fighter, assassin and overall spy. They fed him false information and he relayed that to the Marines. It was a great system, they fooled the Marines and he made money. Of course, they never told him that they were just using him. A partnership worked out for the best when both sides believed they were in control. Of course, the person who benefited the most was the one who was actually in charge, aka Taka.

"Oh, and my name is Delrado!" he boomed, finishing his introduction with a perfectly content smile on his face. He looked back over at White with a peculiar look on his face, "I'm sorry were you saying something?" Still some things were barely worth putting up with Delrado for... nonetheless White shook his head and decided to continue with their deal. It was about the only way to control this guy. After all of these conversations and brokering all of these deals one of these days White realized he would never understand this guy...he didn't do so well with idiots.

"There's a certain Devil Fruit blooming soon," explained White with a wave of his hand, "and we have finally located the area in which it will bloom, the problem is the Marines have as well. A large war will erupt soon and we want to have you on our side." Delrado nodded in agreement.

"Of course, you do!" he boomed with a happy chuckle, "I'm Delrado, my favorite juice is apple, I smell like seawater, and my animal theme is Electric Eel."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," muttered White, wishing he would shut up...he knew what he smelled like...he could smell him from here. As for the animal theme...what the hell was that even about. "The Devil Fruit is incredibly powerful and we wish for it to be in our hands, you understand that, don't you?" Delrado nodded, choosing to remain quiet this time. "You will, of course, be paid. Devil Fruits usually go for what like 100 million belies. Since you'll be risking your neck and this is an important mission we'll increase your pay to...how does 500 million sound? That's enough for you to retire with, you'll never even have to lift a finger, sound good?"

"I think 800 million sounds better," Delrado grunted. White nodded and they immediately struck upon the deal. White wasn't in the mood to negotiate and he was actually allowed to go up to 1 billion belies in order to convince him to join them, so he was still coming in under budget. Once again it was proven that both people benefited from a deal when they believed they were in charge. So, White allowed Delrado to once again falsely believe he was in charge of the negotiation again. White paused for a second as he picked up a Den-Den Mushi and quickly took the message. Delrado puttered around during that time. It was a pretty basic rule for assassins that phone calls generally took a fairly high priority. It could be new orders or even someone calling off the current orders. White, however, looked a little more grave. It was obvious that it was another hitch in the plans.

"Damn," muttered White pushing the Den-Den Mushi away, "weren't you supposed to be keeping people in the West Blue in the West Blue by sinking any incoming ships?" Delrado nodded. It was a 'mission' from Taka. The pay was about 50 million per sunken ship, but Delrado had to pay Taka 200 million per ship that passed. Delrado didn't mind it after all he was making good on his promise out of 50 ships that tried to sail through he sunk 50. He had made a killing on that job, especially considering he could then sell the parts on the Black Market. He was easily pulling in about 120 million per sunken ship. "Well, some ship just got through."

Delrado laughed loudly, "well, what did you expect? I wasn't there. Me, Delrado. My favorite sport is baseball, my ideal woman is blonde, and my favorite meal is breakfast! Since I wasn't there in all of my greatness, of course, my back-up failed. They're good, but not...DELRADO GOOD!" White shook his head.

"Oh, really," White said with a mocking tone, "I'm willing to bet that you wouldn't have made a difference." Delrado paused, his back arched and his eyes went wide. He turned around, slamming his fist onto the table with all of his power, breaking it into dust. He growled and stared at White, expecting an explanation now. White smiled. Whenever Delrado got worked up that was the one time he stayed quiet. White thought about just keeping Delrado high-strung for the rest of the conversation and not tell him, but...he decided it was worth it at this point. "The man whose ship just broke through the wall was Alexander...or the 'Iron Hammer of Justice'."

"Well, my name is...is..." Delrado paused for a second trying to think of a name as foreboding as 'Iron Hammer of Justice'. In all honesty, the name on his Wanted Poster was 'Motor Mouth' Delrado. He assumed it was a jab at his Electric Eel powers and he rather liked the idea of likening himself to a motor. He was a machine...a killing machine. But 'Motor Mouth' didn't seem very intimidating. Suddenly he had an idea. He'd just take the most bad ass things in the world and string them together. "I'm 'Delrado' Delrado!" White raised an eyebrow...was this man really that thick?

"We've had several exchanges with him...he's not your ordinary everyday human," explained White deciding to leave the finer details out. Delrado would probably just blab them to every newspaper agency between here and the New World. Delrado chuckled and shook his head, White didn't understand how strong he was apparently. "Alexander...where are you going?" asked White watching as Delrado pushed his seat back and stood up, lifting his arm into the air and letting electricity shoot down it, super-charging his fist and arm. Electricity cackled down his light blue thick forearm. He spat into it and let the spit form a small puddle in his palm. He reached back and suddenly let it fly, it pierced the steel door and flew in even deeper. White was surprised. It was a simple Fishman technique that allowed them to basically turn water into hardened steel bullets, however, he had rarely seen used to this degree. Indeed Delrado was a man that couldn't be taken easy. Perhaps it would've been enough to stop Alexander just by having him there. "Fine, then," laughed off White, "you like gambling right?" however, White immediately cringed as he realized that with what he said Delrado would probably...

"My favorite past time is gambling, my favorite manga is Chopperman, and my nationality would be American!" White balked...he only understood the gambling part. The rest of that sentence seemed to be better caterogorized as complete and total gibberish.

"Right..." White said, visibly disturbed. "So, how about a bet. I'll bet you 200 million that you can't defeat Alexander. If you can bring me his head, I'll pay you. If you can't, you have to pay me that amount." Delrado paused for a second before smiling and swiftly nodding.

"Easy money." White admitted, he agreed that for Delrado there probably wasn't any money that was easier to obtain. Even worse White had been close tabs on Alexander according to all of the information he had obtained from the Seiryu fight...Alexander's chance of winning was less then 2%. But for some reason White couldn't shake the feeling that his information network wasn't up to date with that man. There was definitely something different with Alexander...normal people means weren't enough to keep up with him. White would just use Delrado to update his information or at the very worst...kill Alexander for him.

White was grateful when Delrado left, but he supposed he should still be on his toes. It looked like had accidentally told him he could make 1 billion off of this mission. Of course, it would be all worth it in the end if they got their hands on the strongest Devil Fruit, the Gura-Gura no mi. He laughed as he moved out. However, what was waiting for him on the other side of the door was something akin to death itself. White chuckled nervously. There were three Gods of Taka. The Elder God, a man who was to be referred to as only that, the Science God, or Void Furrow, and finally...the man before White right now...

The Death God.

A man who cheated Death itself and was now the bringer of it. His entire body hidden from view, but an incredibly strong smell of ashes hung in the air. White lifted his hands up and felt ash coil around his body, searching all of his pockets for anything that could be of trouble. Finally they released White, but they remained in the air. "I don't trust anyone." It was a nice almost soothing voice, but there was a strange quality to it. It was devoid of any emotion. "You are probably one of the most cautious people in all of Taka." White smiled at the news, but he quickly stopped as he stepped back. He didn't see the source of the voice. It was unnerving...plus she wasn't called the Death God for no reason. "People aren't cautious for no reason. So, what's your reason?" White chuckled.

"Its just the way I was made," he laughed and shrugged it off.

"Unacceptable answer," muttered the shroud of ashes as it swirled around him, "I dislike dishonesty. You still have your health so it wasn't like you were killed over some stupidity." White piqued up, she wasn't usually so forthcoming with information, was that some information about how she cheated death? She suddenly sighed and shuffled out of the room. White shook his head and dug into his pocket, revealing another small device. A trigger for another bomb. He was always cautious after working with so many bombs you learned a few things. One is to make the proper mixture a slight deviation could cause them to set off early, second was to detonate only when necessary, and, most importantly, bombs always eliminated all evidence. As an assassin the third one was the most important need for him. However, perhaps it was just him being overly cautious as always. He stared down the hallways where she had disappeared down. He thought about throwing a flash bomb down there just to make sure she wasn't still there. However, he decided if he did so, he would just be inviting her to kill him.

His goal and Taka's overlapped. Make money, world domination, fairly simple goals and in all honesty goals he couldn't afford to fumble. If Taka failed he would take over from there and start from 0. He kept a list of capable individuals who were not affiliated with Taka who he would recruit if it ever came down to it. He was a cautious man after all. He still had been dreams, he wouldn't allow Taka sinking to stop him.

* * *

><p>A new chapter. Sorry, no bonus chapters for this one unlike Sights. Anyways! Onto bigger and better things as the crew is officially in the Grand Line.<p>

Oh! P.S. The Death God (who has an actual name) was created by Labyrinth-Designer. I was debating about telling you guys until his 'official' introduction, but what can I say I love to spoil my readers!


	124. Chapter 124 The Strongest Marine

**The Strongest Marine**

"And here we are first island in the Grand Line," explained the teacher with a shrug, waving his hand at the island. "It is a beautiful place, ain't it?" The entire island was coated in a thin early morning haze, but it didn't lessen its extravagance. Palm trees that seemed to come from vacation brochures dotted the shore line, the town had bright vivid hues painted on all of their buildings, the streets were well-kept without a single piece of trash on the them. They were all wowed by the niceness of the town, they were usually so horrible. After all this was the first island of the Grand Line...pirates were constantly coming and going, weekly raids, and almost daily destruction. It seemed unlikely that the place would still be in such pristine condition. "Its a shame that in a week or so this place will be covered in blood."

The crew turned and faced him, their faces showing their emotion. He smirked and nodded, obviously happy he caught their attention. "In one week, on this island, the Gura-Gura no mi will be born. As you all know the Gura-Gura no mi was once used by a pirate named Blackbeard with this Devil Fruit despite his ill-control of it, he quickly became labeled as a Yonkou, one of the four deadliest pirates on the sea. Such an insane power will soon be brought back into this world. This power is considered to be the greatest in the world. On par with the Ancient Weapons. And as a result it is just as sought over...no, it is more sought after...as even idiot could level towns with the power of the Gura-Gura no mi. If a genius were to obtain it...there's no doubt in my mind that the entire world would be reduced to nothing. An incredible power all contained in a fruit, how is that possible? Its a mystery of the world, however, we are stuck with that incredibly powerful barrel pointing at our heads, we Marines have it the worst." The crew looked over at him, a little bit lost about what he meant by that.

"The Gura-Gura no mi has been brought into this world four times," he explained, "and we Marines despite our best effort had never managed to obtain them." The crew grew silent, it seemed like it was almost like a curse to them. "Well, maybe I shouldn't say that," he pondered the truth for a few seconds, before sighing and nodding, deciding that while they may be A LOT younger than him, he shouldn't coddle them. "We got our hands on the Devil Fruit once."

"After we captured and executed Blackbeard?" asked Alexander. After a Devil Fruit user died the Devil Fruit they ate reincarnated near them in the nearest correct fruit. Of course, people rarely witnessed such a phenomena, but it did occur and there were a few witnesses. The teacher shook his head.

"Sadly Blackbeard's methods of obtaining the fruit tainted the original fruit and prevented it from reincarnating. It was said that he used a rather dark and mystical ritual to absorb the fruits, it was originally thought to be impossible after all," he explained, "like we said the Devil Fruit ceased to exist after that, but we kept our ears to the ground and heard of it resurfacing. We found a detailed plan explaining how Blackbeard did and we managed to get an accurate hypothesis stating this would be the place and...ER! WILL YOU SHUT UP AND LISTEN? You got me off-track...what was I talking about?" he rolled his head again as he tried to remember where he was before Alexander interrupted him and got him talking about something boring. "Ah, right."

"We did get the Devil Fruit once," he said, "a Marine got it and we decided to immediately put it to use, but..." however, before he got into the important part he was interrupted again.

"Its...its him," said Rina with her mouth gaping open and soon everybody else followed as a single Marine officer walked through the village coming out of the light fog and into view. He was tall, he had a gold button down shirt and his Marine jacket bellowed behind his back. However, there was one small difference in jacket, the seagull on his jacket was solid gold rather than blue. He had a large cigar bobbing in his mouth as he came up upon on them. He didn't need an introduction, everyone on the crew knew him...no, everybody in the world knew him. He was the most famous, upright individual in the world. He was the Fleet Admiral McAdam Ambrose.

"In one week," he muttered as he walked up next to them, staring them all in the eye, "we'll be living in a hell unlike any others. Our goal will be to make sure this kind of hell won't stretch to the rest of the world." He sighed for a second, "I hope by the end of this we'll be able to see heaven." The entire crew, even Specter who usually had very little respect for authorities seemed awed in his presence. "As much as I want to sit around and talk with the latest recruit to the Grand Line I was heading in this direction because a ship was arriving." The crew looked over the waters, how could he see anything? The fog may only be a thin film, but still everything looked like a white glaze to them.

_Ding!_

Ambrose stared straight at the sea before lifting his arm...an incredible burst of strength coursed through his arm temporarily lighting it up from the inside. Its insides could be seen as clear as day...but it wasn't like muscles and bones, it was instead gears, cogs, and pipes...he was a Cyborg. "Readying the Pulsed Energy Projectile. Locating target." The crew turned their head down to the sea looking down it, trying to find his target, but they couldn't see it. The only thing they saw was the film of fog. Another pulse sat down his arm, brightening the light that was concentrated in his arm. "Adjusting for distance, two and a half centimeters to the left, a quarter of a centimeter up...target acquired." Ambrose's eyes flashed red for a second, signaling his intent to fire. Just as they did the crew finally saw the ship. It was a huge war galleon, probably about seven times the size of Alexander's ship. Ambrose smiled, "I was hoping for a slightly larger one. These small fries aren't a good workout for me." He fired.

The bolt was small probably only about an inch in diameter...of course, that could only be estimated from a passing glance. It looked like lightning...and it was just as fast. It cut through the air, a loud screaming noise could be heard and it easily deafened everyone around them. They coiled backwards for a few seconds, shaking. It was obvious that it was a weapon that excelled past modern day technology. The small bolt hit the ship. It was hard to see through the fog, but it was fairly obvious when it happened...as the ship vanished, turning instantaneously into a burning heap of debris. Floorboards were accelerated through the air, covering the distance between the ship and the land, the boards easily flew ten miles, smashing into the floor of the island, jutting out of them like dangerous spikes. The crew paused for a second watching the boards land. Really? They were afraid of fruit when they hand someone like him on their side? How the hell did that make any sense?

"Eh, I would've preferred a bigger explosion," said Specter with an uncomfortable laugh at the end, however, it was fairly obvious that he didn't feel that way, he just didn't know how to lessen the awkwardness of seeing a single man completely demolish a ship with just one shot.

"I'll keep it in mind for the next one," said Ambrose as he took out a small hand held machine and began inputting some numbers, no doubt calculations. "Okay, the next pirate ship will go down in the largest explosion I can muster." The crew grimaced. The thought of the biggest explosion kind of made them feel uncomfortable...well, more uncomfortable than before. This guy wasn't joking around. He had a stern look on his face as he moved forward and heading back to where he came from. The crew immediately ducked and followed behind him, forgetting about what the teacher was going to say...although he too kind of just laughed it off. To him it was possible that he considered Ambrose as the only man capable of fighting on equal footing as him...and it was possible that Ambrose agreed.

"Are there any other Marines here?" asked Alexander. The Fleet Admiral was a big guy, but still if he was here then the regular Admirals, the Vice Admirals, and every else may be here as well.

"Yes," responded the Fleet Admiral with complete frankness, he looked over at Alexander. "You look like somebody I should know...but forgot about because he didn't do anything important." Alexander chuckled nervously.

"Eh, I'm...'Iron Hammer' Alexander." The Fleet Admiral seemed to pick up on that information and he immediately scoured his memory (data banks?) for all information on that. Suddenly he seemed to hit upon something and nodded.

"Ah, from the Homunculus project."

"WHA!" shouted Dale jumping back, "He was a part of the Homunculus project!" Dale's jaw dropped, causing everybody to look at him, "but I don't remember seeing him around!" This seemed to take everybody by surprise. How did Dale know about that? Was he a Homunculus, too? No, then Alexander would recognize him. "Each major scientist was allowed to pick one right hand man to accompany them to the production of it. I was one of those right hand men to be picked! I guess it was because I have a decent amount of medical knowledge."

Ambrose raised an eyebrow. "A decent amount of medical knowledge," he asked with a certain questioning tone to his voice, "Dale you graduated at the top of your class. And each major scientist? Why did you put it that way? You weren't picked by just any major scientist, you were hand-picked by Void Furrow himself." The crew's faces dropped even more. He...he...he was hand-picked by the next most gifted scientist after Vegapunk? And he graduated at the top of his class? And yet...he was like that? He didn't have even a shred of confidence!

"Wait, so Dale knows what they were doing in the Homunculus project?" asked Rina, kind of surprised they let someone in who seemed as weak willed as Dale. It seemed like if an enemy organization wanted to find out more about the project they would just kidnap him and torture him...it seemed like he would cave pretty easily.

"You...you are all disappointed in me, aren't you?" asked Dale, immediately dropping down to the ground and swirling his finger around in circles on the ground. It was as if he could read their thoughts. "But, yeah, they told me all about what they were working on with that project...I still think they could've named it better. I mean, it was just about mass-producing special weapons." This time it was Alexander's turn to drop down in disgrace was that all he was...a 'special weapon'. "They told me they were going to infuse the weapons with a Devil Fruit, you know like the Mera-Mera no mi, so they can obtain very unique abilities that the wielder can tap into at will." Alexander kind of popped up at that news...he didn't know what they were really doing. He would've if he was allowed to tell him the truth, true, the rest of his crew knew the truth, but he didn't know Dale as well as he knew them...it looked like this would be another difficult decision for him to make.

"Well, you were lied to, mate!" laughed Specter, "patting him on the back! They were actually turning weapons into humans, you know, infusing them with the Hito-Hito no mi, like our friend the 'Iron Hammer' Alexander." Specter put special emphasis on 'Iron Hammer' apparently forgetting (or just ignoring) that the information was supposed to be top-secret...thankfully at least Dale acted like it was big deal...by fainting.

* * *

><p>OKay, I'm late. but I have a good reason. Two really. My first is my car broke down. Nothing major. A 100$ fix, but enough to make my car undriveable for a day or two. Secondly, I got a new computer as an early birthday present. I've been needing a new one the last one overheated when I ran things like Photoshop, so this new one can handle the stress (oh, but I totally prefer Windows 7 to 8.)<p>

Yeah, so Dale had been left in the dark for an incredibly long time. I thought about having him being introduced to it during the training sequences, but I figured it would be best to showcase it like this. And, yes, Dale was an incredibly talented doctor, but there is still a few hidden things about him that I 'forgot'. More like didn't make up yet.

Also Ambrose is the creation of Labyrinth-Designer.


	125. Chapter 125 Homunculus Project

**The Homunculus Project**

"You awake yet, Dale?" asked Rina as she lightly shook him. Dale's eyes briefly flitted open. He shot up and shook his head, a little bit taken for a loop. He paused for a few seconds as he tried to put things together and remember what he had thought about. Rina smiled at him for a few more seconds trying to wait and see his reaction once more. "Are you okay, huh, Dale?" Dale blinked for a few more seconds before taking up a thoughtful position trying to recall all of the information, before snapping his fingers and instantly remembering the important parts. And then he laughed.

"Oh, yeah," he laughed out loud with a boisterous laughter, "it was a good joke. I mean the World Government working hard to create fake humans out of weapons using Devil Fruits its a rather farfetched tale."

"Its the truth," nodded Ambrose with a swift nod.

"WHA-" shouted Dale with his eyes jumping wide open. "If the Fleet Admiral said it it must be true! So, you mean...Alexander is actually a hammer! I guess that explains his incredible blunt and dense personality." Alexander turned around about to jump on top of Dale and begin pounding him, but the crew immediately caught and pulled him back. "I guess it makes sense. I always had a bit of a suspicion that they were lying to me. I'm not upset that they were lying to me, if anything I'm amazed by it. I mean, I thought for the longest time it would be impossible for someone to simply infuse weapons with Devil Fruits. I mean, the process was considered horribly unstable especially the way Void went about it. Don't get me wrong, he was a genius, but there was numerous times when reading his notes that you could notice a few...hopeful exaggerations."

"Hopeful exaggerations?" asked Alexander looking over at Dale, Dale smiled and nodded, quickly turning around and digging into his small backpack. He quickly handed them over to Alexander, who spent a few seconds pretending he was reading it, before handing it back over with a confident smirk, "its complete gibberish."

Dale frowned and shook his head, taking the papers and handing them to the next person, "trust me when I say its not gibberish. It is incredibly detailed works, I mean its like he planned out every detail, copied every tiniest problem was carefully calculated. I mean, he had like eighty pages of notes of what to do if a screw came loose. He stated the importance of the screws, which ones needed to be high duty, the exact length, the exact materials for them to be made of. Everything! Written down to the slightest detail! I mean, the instructions to building a ship is like a pamphlet compared to his notes!"

"Its gibberish," stated the rest of the crew after the notes had been passed around. Dale chuckled nervously before snatching the papers back.

"ITS NOT GIBBERISH!" screamed Dale, "the data is incredibly detailed!" Dale sighed before flipping through the pages, "anyways, as for the fallacies amongst them, I mean there's no upkeep with the weaponized humans." The crew looked at Dale with a question mark above their heads. Dale shook his head, "with a sword after every use you sharpen it, right? Sometimes you even go as far as to melt it back down and re-create it. Its all to make sure it doesn't break in the end, right? Well, you can't really do that to humans, I mean, you can't melt them down or sharpen them. It seems to me that it just means wear and tear would build up on them and they would eventually break very easily."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence there, champ," Alexander said. Dale suddenly realized what he had just said and went to cover it up, but Alexander gave him a slight pat on the back and shut him up by laughing over anything he could've said, "ah, don't worry about. I'm part weapon and part Marine...the second part doesn't die easily." Dale chuckled nervously, really wishing he could take back what he had just said. "Anyways, there are other Marines around here, right? So where are they?" Alexander sounded like a little school boy about to meet new friends for the first time. They supposed it was to be expected, Alexander probably didn't spend that much time with other Marines...or other people. He spent the majority of his life either training, in a lab, or on the sea with just four other people. It suited him to be excited over the prospect of meeting someone new.

"Oh, yes," Ambrose reflected upon the past few days, "I don't really know where they are. There was a large sum of them around here, but I'm mostly just letting them do what they want." The entire crew guffawed at such a simple outlook. HOW! This was quite possibly them most pivotal point in history for the new hundred years! How could he just let them do what they wanted? "Relax," he said (or more like commanded), "they are about to head off to war. No man can keep his nerves calm before a great war like this one. They are all off doing their own thing. I'm sure some men are patrolling the border of the island anxious to get their minds off of the impending war. Others are probably calling family members...I'm betting quite a few of them are acting like wild animals, eating, drinking, and having sex...and I can't blame them...I'll probably only see half of them after this war."

The crew distracted their gaze, looking down at the ground. They hadn't really thought about it. The teacher had been keeping them so busy with training that they had no time to think about what was coming up after it. Even something as all-consuming as war had been pushed out of their heads. "I'm going to tell you guys the same thing I told them...I strongly urge you all to quit the Marines right here and now. If you choose to stay then I suppose we should congratulate ourselves. We taught you that being a Marine meant living for justice and if necessary dying for justice. I hope it won't come to that, but if it does...I want you to know...you died for something worth dying for." He stopped talking for a second and went somber, he went for his drink and took a big gulp. When he was done he let out his breath with a refreshing sigh and muttered to his faithful Marines, "Dismissed."Ambrose stood up and patted himself clear of any clinging dust. He paused for a second, tipping his head back and staring at the roof of the place. "This is a nice island, if you can try to make it stay as nice for as long as possible."

"Got it!" shouted Specter, shooting up out of his chair, "I'm going to go blow something up." Alexander delivered a swift kick to his gut.

"HE JUST SAID KEEP IT NICE!" shouted Alexander, "that means don't destroy it!" Specter shook his head. He never thought Alexander would be in a position to discipline him. Alexander sighed, spun his arm around in a circle. "I was really hoping to get a few spars in against an Admiral or two." The crew shook their head, that was a bit optimistic. They were Admirals for a reason, Alexander couldn't hope to fight against them. "Oh, well, I guess I'll just go for a walk then...maybe I'll bump into one of them and we can fight then."

"Actually hang on for a second, Alexander," muttered the teacher as he yawned, finally stirring. "I understand your desire to fight someone strong, but I have something important to ask you." Alexander moaned, he really wanted to get going, but he supposed he should probably listen to the old man. He sighed and went with him.

The rest of the crew shared the same look on their faces. They were interested in what they were going to be talking about, but at the same token they didn't really want to pry. They shrugged it off and just shook their heads. "Where are you going?" asked Reggie, looking over at Rina and the rest of the crew. They couldn't just follow their captain, besides this may be their last week alive. Surely they all had big plans.

"I'm going to be blow something up," swiftly stated Specter, which earned him a group beating. Even Ambrose wound up slamming his fist into his head. "What...its the most enjoyable thing to do...have you ever blew something up? Its really fun, here let me show you!" Specter took out his crossbow and took aim at the wall. Another swift, powerful gang up occurred with everybody getting into it...even the bartender who had been serving them. "Why do you guys keep doing that?"

"I'm going to get going before Specter just starts shooting his gun randomly and accidentally hits someone," Reggie muttered, "I'm going to go to the kitchen...it'll be nice to finally cook with real ingredients rather than just wild animals and whatever herbs I can scrap together." The crew just realized that she had been making do with whatever they could get their hands on. This might be the first time she got her hands on real fancy ingredients for the past two weeks. "A good chef can make do with the worst ingredients, but...a real chef understands that there's no substitute for high quality ingredients." Reggie left with high spirits, quietly whistling to herself.

"All this talk about him makes me want to review Void's notes again," Dale laughed it off, for some odd reason it seemed like he considered this to be an enjoyable past time. In all honesty, Dale thought that he could learn something new from returning to the basics. Void Furrow had spent years learning how to dismantle the human body and as a result he apparently learned how to build a human. If so, Dale still had a ways to go. He knew how to heal a human being and fix them, but the fact was building one from scratch or even disassembling one seemed impossible. He needed to learn more and become capable of more.

"I guess I'll just go work on my special weapon," muttered Specter as he hung his head, it finally seemed to get through to him that he wouldn't be able to blow anything up any time soon. If that was the case he'd just get prepared to blow things up later. "Hey, the next ship that comes into port is mine, got it? I'll make an evem bigger explosion than yours!" Specter said with extreme confidence to Ambrose, however, he didn't seem to be bothered by Specter's declaration of war. Then again why would HE, an admiral, fear the declaration coming from Specter, an insane Marine grunt? Probably no reason whatsoever. Nonetheless Specter seemed to take his silence as consent and ran off to go work on the next blueprints for even bigger and better weapon.

Rina sighed, she was the only one left from the crew still waiting for something exciting. As a navigator her life on the ship was the busy, but once they docked she got an awful lot of free time...as a matter of fact right now she just felt tired...maybe she'd just take today off and rest for awhile, no sense in overworking. "Which way to the local hotel?" asked Rina. Ambrose lifted his head up from his drink and pointed down the way. Rina nodded and went on her way. It was rather sad that their first day of rest and relaxation before a big war was going to be spent resting, but she supposed she probably wouldn't be the only one doing it. Without a doubt there would probably be a few other Marines gathered at the hotel, wanting to rest off the hard week's work.

Still she though as she paused in the middle of the street and looked down it, looking for the rest of her crew one last time. She had to wonder what Alexander and his teacher were talking about. Trouble seemed to follow Alexander so supposed it couldn't be anything good.

* * *

><p>Hmm...I've been debating about sending out the next chapter as I got rather carried away when typing it and it became total gibberish (just a bunch of details on nuts. I MEAN THE KIND THAT YOU USE FOR MACHINES! Not peanuts, geeze, guys get your head out of the gutter.)<p> 


	126. Chapter 126 Commodore

**The Commodore**

"God!" moaned Alexander as he pounded another fellow Marine into the ground. He found the rest of them, they were hanging out on the local baseball field...there was also a basketball court nearby, but that was actually being used as a basketball court. Alexander wasn't a big fan of the sport, maybe if it was a one person sport or if he had his crew on his side maybe then he would join with them, but for the time being he was happy with just pounding these various Marines into the ground for the time being...in all honesty it was a great stress relief, he could see why pirates liked it so much...of course he wouldn't say that in front of anyone else. But he really need some stress relief.

He angrily kicked another rushing Marine in the gut and sent him falling to the ground, tumbling over and clutching at his gut. "Damn him," Alexander said as he landed on the ground. The rest of the Marines were lieutenants, sergeants, and captains so Alexander had an unfair advantage against them, but still he felt like he would still be easily wiping the floors with them even if they were of the same rank. Alexander stepped back and began rapidly spinning his arm, building up momentum, "Okay, who's next!"

A few of the other Marines had gathered around and were starting up a betting table. Basically the question was who would beat him, whoever guessed correctly would win the pool. Alexander felt sorry for anyone who placed any bets against him. He wasn't about to go any easier on the next group of Marines who flooded the stadium ready to try their hands against the recently promoted Commodore. What had ticked Alexander off to this degree that would cause him to start sinking Marine heads? His teacher had asked him one simple question. To abandon the Marines. Alexander angrily slugged another Marine upside the head, sending him flying into another one, knocking them both out with a single punch.

His teacher said something about it being better for him in the end. That the Marines were planning something that was a hazard to him. Alexander didn't know what it was, but he didn't care...whatever it was he'd meet it head-on! He was a Commodore now! Alexander slowed down for a split second...he was a Commodore...he never really got to relish it with Veri Fresh's funeral coming up right after his promotion. He tightened his grip and allowed himself a brief smile. After this was Rear Admiral, then Vice Admiral, and then Admiral and finally Fleet Admiral! Alexander smiled brilliantly as he struck out easily knocking another Marine out with his tight fist. To think that there was only four steps in-between him and McAdam Ambrose, a man who easily demolished an opposing ship. It was a shock to his system, Alexander admitted that he knew that there was a huge in talent between Fleet Admiral and a regular Admiral and an even bigger one in between that and Vice Admiral...he knew he still had a long ways to go, but still! Alexander planted his foot, pivoting around and launching into a mad roundhouse kick that cleaved through several incoming Marines! He had taken a step forward! Commodore in the Grand Line...that was something to be proud of.

"...Is it just me or is he smiling as he pounds his own guys in?" asked one of the bettors as he tore his eyes away from the scoreboard to the scene playing-out for a brief second. The other bettors turned their faces down to look at Alexander, silently gulping and nodding their head. They guessed that was just something about Marines of his level...they were insanely powerful and possibly just plain old out insane. "Still...I can't believe how easily he's dispatching our guys, I mean, isn't there someone left on this island worth giving him trouble! Where are the Vice Admirals! Or, heck, even the Admirals! Just someone who can pound this son ova gun into the ground!"

"Who would've thought that the Dense Hammer would be doing something like this," chuckled a voice. It was soon followed by a quiet clacking of high heels that made themselves prominent even over the loamy earthy soil of the earth. She came into view as she flicked her long black hair out of her eyes, revealing two chocolate brown eyes set against a pale skin background. She laughed confidently as she walked up to the gate. The people who were currently setting bets quickly interfered.

"We can't let you get in, miss," they muttered, lowering their gaze, "he's on a rampage right now, and it would be ill-advised for someone like you to get in there with him."

"Someone like me," she asked as she lifted a hand into the air. "**Stone Fist's, Titan's Rage." **Her two hands were soon covered in a layer of thick black earthy stones, a stark contrast to her white skin. She reached forward grabbing a hold of the thin chain link fence that separated her from Alexander. She threw her arm backwards, ripping about ten feet of fence from out of the ground and apart from the rest of the fence with a loud snap and tossed it behind her with an evil chuckle. "You mean, someone who would crush him with ease?" The two bet organizers quickly side-stepped out of the way, bowing as they went...finally they recognized her. A Marine who had been sent to the Grand Line before Alexander had been...hell, before Alexander even had a crew of two people...Gaia Nyan...

Gaia Nyan was a woman who had enrolled in the Marines before Alexander was even born...before Rina or Specter or Reggie had been a part of it. She had seen Veri Fresh's rise to fame, been there at Void Furrow's supposed execution, and even shared drinks when Ambrose accepted the position of Fleet Admiral.

As a stark contrast to Alexander's current nearly 15% mission success rate (with only one mission that could actually be considered completed), Gaia Nyan was closer to a 91% mission success rate...the only missions she ever failed were ones that involved keeping the pirates alive. "Too think that the 'Dense Hammer' would make it here...I'm surprised you didn't give up the instant you realized you weren't cut out for Marine work," mocked Gaia as she stepped into the room and stretched, readying for their first exchange of blows...since...well, ever. The two were both up-and-coming rookies and as a result they often butted heads...despite rarely ever physically butting heads. Perhaps that was one of the reasons Gaia disliked Alexander...she found herself often being compared to him, but just a quick glance at their records could prove which one was superior! Her victories far outnumbered his and yet people always talked about them both together...like he was some soon-to-be super rookie.

Alexander couldn't take his eyes off of Gaia, she seemed different than before. He couldn't put his finger on it, she didn't necessarily seem stronger, she just seemed different. Oh, well, Alexander cracked his neck and took a few steps...he had come in here to blow off some steam and it turned into him just beating up some weak Marines, but he supposed he had a good time doing so. However, now he couldn't go in with either mind set. Fighting angry will probably just get him killed and chances are this will not be a friendly sparring match...Gaia meant business. Of course, after getting all warmed up Alexander meant business as well. A friendly sparring match...phbt, who the hell wanted that? Gaia's earth-coated arm stretched out, clobbering the air directly above Alexander's head as if she was firing off a warning shot. Well, it was apparent that she didn't want anything friendly.

Alexander tightened his guard together...it was apparent that in terms of sheer destructive force Gaia had definitely grown stronger since they've last met. However, a quick glance at all the beaten Marine bodies proved that the same could be said for him. Of course, in all honesty Alexander never needed more destructive force...he just needed speed. Alexander jetted forward, a single powerful pump of his legs against the ground brought him rocketing towards Gaia. He struck out with a single punch, pulverizing the space in front of Gaia...giving her his own warning shot. Gaia looked a little bit fearful for a second as she registered Alexander's true power, but she calmed down just as quickly and when she did she and Alexander exchanged the same looks.

This is going to be fun.

(-With Rina-)

Perhaps it was a statement to her own base desires, but she just couldn't rest right now. Everybody else was out and about and she just felt so lazy languishing about in the ship. Her legs practically ached for a run and she relented, figuring it would be good for her body, which has basically been cramped up on the ship for a long time. And although it had started off as a run around the island it slowly dissolved to a jog and then eventually a pleasant walk. She had noticed ever since they landed on the island, but it was beautiful and once the fog had rolled back into the sea the town basically sprang to life. The once dull colors became vibrant once again. Rina was in awe as she strolled through the town.

It was a shame, she couldn't help but hang her head when she thought that just in under a week this island would be engulfed in a great war. Rina sighed. That actually reminds her...the bartender was still here. She wondered why they allowed a civilian to stay around during a crisis like this. Come to think of it what happened to the rest of the civilians, she guessed they must've been evacuated, but still to leave behind this beautiful island must've been a horrible fate for them. They probably hated it. Rina sighed, it would've been best if they didn't have to have a war at all, if they didn't have to run hundreds of innocent civilians away from their homes. Rina was glad she wasn't here when they did such a thing. Rina moved down deeper into the island. A brief chill suddenly surrounded her.

"Hey, lady, hand over all the money you got and we'll let you go, okay?" asked one of two men who suddenly appeared behind her. The one that spoke had a large curling green pompadour that went upwards and the one who stayed silent had a yellow one that curved to the side. "I hate to be doing this to you, but its just business, you understand, right?" he said as he strode forward, brandishing his blade calmly with every step...after all, it was just a woman, he had no reason to worry. He kind of had to chuckle at her, after all, she didn't look upset or anything as a matter of fact if anything she looked kind of annoyed...like this would make her angry if she didn't know it would all be over within in the next couple of seconds...they guessed she must be ready to hand over her money or something.

And, boy, were they wrong.

They were both flipped through the air with surprising speed and strength, they did one or two cartwheels in the air before they landed flat on their faces. Rina walked over to them and stood above them, "the name's Rina Mitsukomi Chiran. I'm a Marine Lieutenant and you guys are under arrest for attacking a Marine officer as well as trying to extort her for money."

"Figures you're a damn Marine," muttered the one with the green pompadour and the yellow quickly nodded, but he still didn't say anything as if voicing his own dislike for the Marines without words.

"Hey, listen punks, just cause we Marines don't let you do whatever you want doesn't mean you should say that about us, okay? We are just trying to enforce justice, if you want to make life harder for other people its the Marine's job to make life harder for you," Rina explained as she took out a pair of handcuffs and rolled the man over, he grunted his displeasure. "I mean, you did try to attack me and steal my money."

The guy rolled over, taking Rina's hands and handcuffs with him, forcing Rina down to his level and bringing her face towards him, "don't act like you guys are so high and goddamn mighty!" he swore, "its your Marine fault that we are forced to resort to this in the first place!"

* * *

><p>Okay, so a lot of people were starting to wonder who was going to be returning (if anybody) there may or may not be more on the way. It is Gaia submitted by Labyrinth-Designer a long time ago (I think she appeared in like Chapter 4?)<p>

Oh, P.S. With school starting up again my writing schedule will be greatly impacted. Whether or not I can keep up two posts a week is questionable at best. May go down to once a week. Don't know yet. Just figured a heads-up would be nice.


	127. Chapter 127 Its All the Marines' Fault

**Its All the Marine's Fault**

"What do you mean, its all the Marine's fault?" asked Rina as she jerked backwards, separating herself from the two punks. "We never would've forced you into becoming thieves! We're trying to protect the common average day people, turning people into robbers goes against everything the Marines stand for." The two men slowly began to chuckle at her words. "We try our hardest, okay? I can understand if some pirates attacked you and stole your money, the Marines may not have been able to help you, but we are still trying to protect people okay, overall what we do is a good thing." The two punks began laughing even louder, mocking Rina's words. "WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!" Rina demanded to know, stomping her foot.

The two punks stopped their laughing and wiped some tears from their eyes. "You really think we'd turn our backs on the righteous path just cause you guys refused to help us out? Hell, we know you Marines are busy and all that. There are a lot of people in a worst scenario then we are..hell, we'd prefer it if you helped them out. We aren't no wimpy weaklings...however! When its you Marines causing the problems in the first place that's when we get mad!" The green haired punk stood up, his hands tied behind his back by the handcuffs. "When you Marines show your true colors sacrificing those people you just declared you wanted to help that's when I turned my back on your so-called Justice! So shut up about your justice! You Marines are even worse than pirates!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about," muttered Rina as she looked him straight in the eyes, "all of the Marines I have met have been honest and upright." The punk shook their heads. "Seriously if you tell me what you are talking about perhaps then I could do something about it, but as if currently stands you aren't telling me anything! What do you mean by that? Why do you insist that we Marines are the evil ones?"

"Do you know where the citizens of this island are?" asked the man as he strode forward towards Rina, but she didn't eve flinch seeing him coming for him. He wasn't going to attack her...he just wanted to state his own opinion on these matters. He came over to her and stood up right in front of her. He was a good foot or so taller than her, so he was looking down upon her. "Well, I'm sure you know where some of them are, some of them were evacuated to a nearby island and all that good stuff, but surely not all of us could fit on the first ship...so they naturally they had to create some kind of order of who should go on the first ship and the second and so on and so forth...originally it was some kind of heroes' will thing, you know women and children first.

"However, some people on this island didn't like that idea," continued the man, "namely the richer older men. So, they paid money to ensure that their families and their belongings got on the ship and eventually that's what it boiled down into...you had to pay to be saved. You know...as if our homes weren't going to be destroyed. So, us poor-ass people got kicked to the curb because some men had padded pocketbooks! And YOU MARINES ALLOWED THAT TO INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION!" Rina looked a little bit taken back, but she didn't say anything. "I know what you're thinking...you're thinking I'm lying to you to explain my actions...don't sell me so short...one, I'm not an idiot. I know a war is about to go down on this island I wouldn't be staying here if I had an option. Two, I have some principles. You probably won't believe me since I just tried to steal from you, but trust me lying to you is the last thing I give a crap about. Three...me and him aren't the only two people left here who couldn't pay the toll. If you let us go we'll be more then happy to show you the truth okay?" Rina looked at him questioningly, but she slowly nodded. If he was telling the truth it would be worth it to check it out. "Come on then." The punks began to walk forward and Rina trailed behind them slightly, still unsure if she should trust them completely.

"Stop walking like that you're creepin' me out," commanded the punk, "you walk like you're a goddamn princess, you're in the company of people who tried to mug you and then you beat the crap out of, WALK LIKE IT!" Rina glared up at him causing him to shrug it off and return his focus forward, "goddamn princess-like walk." Rina scoffed at him, but he chose to ignore. In a matter of moments they were at a run-down bar. "As you can probably imagine from what I've been doing there have been lots of people like me...people who stole from other people in order to make enough money to pay off the toll. The people of the slums fought over and over again to try and amass a large enough sum to pay it off...but for somebody to make enough to get off of the island another person has to be forced back to square one. Its a horrible game of push-and-pull."

Rina slowly nodded, she was ready to see it. The punk brothers moved forward and pushed the bar door open revealing a crowded bar. Rina guessed there had to be at least 30 people crowded into this one room. She was immediately blasted by a horrible stench. "Don't you guys ever bathe?"

"Ha," laughed the punk as he walked in a little bit deeper, "the owner of the water company on this island was as rich as they came. He, of course, paid his way to the other island and nobody here knows how to work the pump. Since the water company no longer provides the water to people's houses, we tend to bathe in the ocean, but when you're fighting for your life you'd be surprised at how little free time you get to do something as simple as bathing." He led Rina through the bar causing a quiet rustling in the rest of the patrons. "We estimate there to be another 20 people on the other side of the island. Our funds combined should equal about 30 tickets. Meaning naturally twenty people on this island will be left here to die in the war."

"Really? You're leaving twenty people here to die just so you and your friends can leave?" Rina shook her head, "shouldn't you at least try to think it through I mean try to find a way for everybody to survive? As it stands you are only playing into those evil Marine's hands! If you want to prove them wrong you should try to beat them at their own game, find a way off of this island without using their methods."

"Like we really have much of an option we aren't a shipbuilding company!" He shouted, "we were a tropical vacation island! Our island prized itself on just being a nice community! We had beautiful islands, clean roads, even our slums were prized as the most beautiful slums in the world! Hell, even as a punk I pulled my fair share I worked in the fields and the bar everyday just to make sure we could maintain our community's standing and all of that is being shot to pieces because of you Marines and your bloody war!"

"Hey, its not like we want a war!" Rina shouted back, "as a matter of fact we've worked hard on avoiding wars for our entire existence!"

"If that's so avoid this war! Leave our island in peace!"

"We can't! An unimaginable power is going to be born here, you understand that right? In other words, we are trying to prevent the rest of the world from becoming a horrible place instead!"

"So, you admit it this island and my people are just a bloody sacrifice!" complained the punk as he walked towards the door, leaving Rina behind. "Remember here, you darn dirty Marine! This island is my whole world! I will do anything to protect it! So, if you're willing to sacrifice my world for yours! Then I'm willing to do the same!" He jabbed his finger at Rina before turning to the door for the final time and walking out. His friend with the yellow hairdo quickly followed. Rina shook her head and focused on the rest of the people who were quickly beginning to flow around her.

"Didja hear that?" asked one of villagers as he produced a hoe from behind him, "he called her a Marine?"

"Yeah, its her people's fault that we are in this mess."

"How much money do you think she has on her?"

"Probably enough for five million tickets based on how greedy those Marines are."

"So, if we beat her up we can all get off of this island!"

"Let's get her!" Rina brought her guard up, it would be hard to beat all of them especially considering that they were all civilians so she couldn't use her full strength against them. She would have to defeat them and hold back, she couldn't injure them at all. She bit her lip as she skidded backwards and prepared to fight. This wouldn't be easy...and something told Rina she probably couldn't write it off as Justice...oh, well, it was beginning to become a matter of life or die. A loud crash was suddenly heard in front of her, it was followed by rapid succession as another group of the bar patrons tilted forwards, hitting the floor harshly. Shards of light blue plates were all around them. Rina was breathing heavily as the rest of the patrons turned to face their attacker.

"Zero-Chan!" they shouted as they all began to flock to her. "This is a Marine girl! She's part of the bad guys! She's the person who is making us do this! Its her armies' fault!" The girl lifted her arms and made some swift signs. Rina blinked for a few seconds, it was sign language...was the girl mute? She could only make out a few pieces of it, admittedly she wasn't an expert in sign language. "I know you disprove of it, but...but..." the girl lifted up a hand signaling for them all too shut-up for a second as she took out a small sign and began to draw on it with a marker. They all waited patiently for her to finish before she lifted up the sign.

Despite apparently relying drawing to replace certain words...her drawing was pretty bad, but it made sense to the group around them. It was a bomb going off and engulfing all of them with her and Rina standing in front of it calmly. The patrons immediately grew quiet...they now knew to be quiet and let her finish. Another sign went up this time just telling them not to blame her, it wasn't her fault. Apparently this Zero-Chan had been watching them and knew that Rina and her crew had just arrived...Rina supposed she was lucky that she wasn't like the rest of them and only had her mind on getting out of here.

"_Get out everyone," _was the next sign. All of the patrons muttered beneath their breaths and began to go. Rina turned around and was about to leave, but another sign came up from behind her, "_Not you." _Rina stopped in her tracks, watching everybody else hang their heads and leave. Once the entire bar had been emptied out, this 'Zero-Chan' person pulled a chair out for Rina and motioned for her to sit down while she went and got some drinks. When she came back she held up another sign, this one was obviously pre-made and was probably used a lot more than her other ones it read simply, "_Hello, my name is Zabrina Laciera'. Nice to meet you."_

"I'm Rina Chiran," she said as she gracefully accepted a glass from this Zabrina lady. She didn't look much older then Rina, probably only 16 or 17. She had long white hair that stretched to her mid-back and she looked calm. She didn't smile even as she introduced herself...as a matter of fact the expression she wore when she threatened to blow up everybody in the base as well as the expression she had when she was giving her her drinks and introducing herself were the same blank emotionless smile. "Its my pleasure to meet you."

* * *

><p>I'm going to enter my nose in the next olympics, thanks the nasty bug going around, my nose now runs faster than most professional athletes. Hey! I'm a superhero! My new moniker is SUPER RUNNING NOSE BOY! FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET! Okay, the bug also comes with fever dreams, but you know what they say! If its not sick in the head, its not CSpacian. Okay, nobody says that. But they probably should.<p>

Oh, by the way Zabrina Laciera is the work of TheGrayCavalry.


	128. Chapter 128 Void's Plan

**Void's Master Plan**

Rina and Zabrina were sitting down and despite the circumstances that they were just in...the atmosphere seemed so formal. Neither one spoke, although on Zabrina's side it wasn't due to the fact that she was uncomfortable with it, she couldn't talk. And Rina felt kind of awkward as well. Zabrina was emotionless, she couldn't talk, and yet despite that she refused to let the other people beat her up. It seemed odd. Rina couldn't believe it, she seemed like a good person, but the horrible atmosphere was still setting her on edge. Rina went to open her mouth, but quickly recoiled...Zabrina was mute, right? Not deaf? Do mute people even understand spoken language? She knew that some of them did, but she was almost certain some of them didn't.

"_I can understand spoken language." _Zabrina seemed to read her mind as she lifted up another sign, her primary form of communication. _"Listen, I can't blame you if you harbor any hatred towards the people of this island, but trust me, they are not usually like this." _Rina nodded. _"Especially Nathan." _If it wasn't for the helpful drawing that came along Rina wouldn't have known who was Nathan. It was the man with the green pompadour. Rina paused for a few seconds. She couldn't really blame Nathan for how he acted...no matter how childish it was.

"_He's been trying to raise enough money to get people off of this island, but...there's a limit to how much money is on the island, so he's decided he won't be leaving this island," _explained Zabrina. Rina looked a little bit surprised, but come to think of it, he never did say he wanted a ticket for himself. He just wanted the money for one...she guessed he could be raising the money for someone else. "_He wants to get me out of here." _Rina jumped a bit at that. That punk wanted to save the innocent little bartender. She supposed most punks, pirates, and rogues tended to like people who gave them whiskey. "_He has a big head...he believes that he's strong enough to survive the war. He originally was going to join up with the Marines cause he believed in you guys, but...I'm starting to worry that he may be planning to join up with the other side now." _Rina bit her lip...yeah, she could believe that. It is hard to maintain your faith in someone who basically betrayed. She would do the same...without a doubt. She knew she shouldn't even be thinking that, but still.

"Okay, but before I continue, may I ask you a quick question?" Zabrina raised her head and looked Rina in the eye. "Why does he want to protect you?" Sure, Rina can understand the thankfulness to someone when they give her some sake, but not quite to the point of feeling like your is indebted to them. "I can't say much about him...or you for that matter, but you two seem very different. It doesn't seem very likely that you and him would be friends." More importantly than that the fact that he was indebted to her was just as strange. If it was the other way around than Rina could argue that maybe he saved her, but she didn't really seem like the kind of person who would save someone like him.

"_I don't want to talk about it."_

Yeah...of course, she wouldn't. Rina sighed as she excused herself from the table. "Oh, well, here's the room I'm staying at in the hotel on the island. Apparently we Marines turned it into some sort of base. If you ever want to talk about it or, you know, want to talk about this awful mess you guys are in in general come seek me out." Rina was about to leave before she remembered one more thing, "also if you see a guy named Alexander he means good, but he'll probably say something stupid, okay? Don't take him too seriously." Zabrina looked away, apparently not caring to make anymore eye contact with Rina. Rina shrugged, sliding the letter into place and quickly leaving.

Well, that just kind of left more questions than answers, not exactly a productive past few hours. She supposed some answers were better than none. Still, she hoped that the others had a better day than her, maybe they found out something actually useful.

(-With Alexander-)

Several furious heavy iron punches blew through the air, incredible speed, technique, and power had all flown into one. They came out like cannon balls that scorched the air with each and every individual shot. However, that's all they scorched. Gaia easily dodged through the mess, firing off her own punches, they came blasting in at Alexander, solid stone, hardened with her will-power were more than enough to injure Alexander. Then again when met with a solid guard they proved useless. Its true that Alexander was forced to block while Gaia could dodge, but he was the only of the two that could. Even if Gaia did block she was fairly certain that her arm all the way from her wrist to her shoulder would be shattered in an instant. Then again if Alexander's guard was even a second slow she would make sure to drive her fist past his guard and right into his chest, definitely breaking a rib in a single shot. In other words, the two of them were up the creek without a paddle.

"Having fun, yet?" mocked Gaia as she began to weave in deeper and beginning to throw more force behind her punches, she could afford another second or two of recoil in-between attacks. Alexander still hadn't drawn close, she didn't like the idea of doing so much just for power, but she needed to break Alexander's guard and do quickly. This fight would probably be better off classified as the first person to land a hit will be the one who wins. And even the slightest shift of momentum in her favor would be enough to win.

"**Damascus Kick!" **shouted Alexander, twisting around and firing a shot straight upwards and into the sky. Gaia was forced back as she felt the entire space around Alexander become super-heated just from that single blow. What incredible power! Power that he was born with. It sucked. Gaia had trained longer and harder than him, she had been a Marine longer than him, but Alexander just kept climbing up the ranks like it was his birthright! For that reason she'd make sure she'd break every last bone in his body.

(-With Dale-)

"So, that's what you were up to, huh, Void?" muttered Dale as he picked through another few series of the papers from his days working under Void Furrow. Dale scratched the back of his head as he began to think of it. Alexander was actually a weapon brought to life? As he thought about it...while it was a neat step towards a new era...how good was it really? Dale dragged the stack of papers closer to him. There were four homunculus' and then there was also the Devil Fruit of the old Fleet Admiral Sengoku. That means five known Hito-Hito no mi's existed. Only five. Being able to create the perfect soldier sounded nice, but still there was only five Devil Fruits that could do that. That wasn't enough for an army...hell, it wasn't even enough for a proper crew. Was Void's plan to make five perfect soldiers?

Nah, the Hito-Hito no mi: Buddha model was probably strong enough where it didn't need to embedded into a living weapon to be a deadly soldier. Yeah, come to think of it...Alexander's powers were fairly limited. All things considered the ability to transform into a mace was basically the scope of his strength. Any Logia Devil Fruit powers kind of showed it up. Alexander still took damage unlike a Logia Devil Fruit user, he didn't have the accelerated healing process of a Zoan-Type, and even a Paramecia-Types had weird enough abilities that could make them a powerful foe. And since you couldn't eat two Devil Fruits any of these 'perfect' soldiers were basically forced to make do with their own innate powers. Alexander basically just had a natural iron body...woo-hoo...Dale leaned back as he thought of it.

Entropy had a nice ability, an entire bladed body. Sharp edges on every turn, but Alexander was limited to just one thing. Even Olivia had a whip-like build which would would give longer reach as well as snake-like whip attacks. No matter how he saw it Alexander got the short end of the stick. Dale flipped through the pages, barely paying any attention to their contents. Void Furrow was a tedious note-taker, which meant every minute detail of his experiment was written out with a vivid explanation, ordinarily this would impress and awe Dale, but when he was looking for some kind of new information it made it a pain to cycle through. Why the hell did they choose a mace in the first place? If it was Dale he would've used a sword or a gun, hell, why stop there! In what stupid world was written that it even had to be a weapon! With it couldn't you animate a ship or something!

A weapon...why a weapon? The thought was now prominent in Dale's mind. After all, out of everything in the world why a weapon? It was a valid question at the very least. Was there some screwed up idea that had been forming in Void's head that he didn't write down? Dale picked up the paper and did another quick run through of the pages. Weapon...weapon...was there anything eluding to a Weapon X? An unknown weapon that he was planning on using in these experiments. He supposed it was too good to be true that he would've written about it in his logs. Even if he did since Void Furrow constantly worked on creating new weapons for all Dale knew it could be a weapon that didn't even exist yet. Or perhaps Dale was over-thinking everything and he wasn't planning anything big at all. Or maybe he was only slightly over-thinking it and it wasn't a weapon or something like that.

Could you use it to raise the dead? You know feed the Hito-Hito no mi to a human corpse and bring it back to life? Could you use it on something like fire? Man, more and more questions began to sprout up in Dale's head. A slightest sliver of hope would really be helpful to him. He picked the pages back up and ran through them once more. What could it be? Why weapons? Why a mace? Hell, why even perform such an experiment in the first place? Five elite soldiers weren't enough! Dale knocked the pages of the experiment to the ground. He loved working under Void Furrow, everyday with that genius was like a new adventure. And he wanted to believe that Void Furrow liked working with him. Dale leaned back and lifted up his hand.

There was a small gold ring with a white streak cutting through the middle of it. Void gave it to him, presumably after Alexander or perhaps Olivia was made. Void had deemed it 'a symbol to mark the beginning of a new future'. Back then Dale thought of it as Void was saying that they were furthering mankind...and perhaps Dale was even disillusioned to believe that Void was talking about him...that he would be the bright new future for the Marines...but now? Now Dale just believed that Void was insane...and quite possibly just bullshitting it with him. Dale sighed, glancing back down at the pages he had previously splattered across the floor, he bent down to pick them up.

His hands quickly re-organized the pages and against his will, his eyes did a thorough examination of each page. He was hard-working to say the least. In all honesty he probably was a genius by birthright just as his brother and sister were, but unlike them he was teased mercilessly, always stuck in their shadows and straining to get out. He had trained harder than them, but never amounted to much...perhaps that was why, by a sheer pleasant mistake, a luck-induced folly, a karmic error...resulted in him noticing the truth behind Void's words. 'The beginning of a new future' indeed...if Void Furrow ever really did accomplish this a new weapon wouldn't just be born...a new era would be.

* * *

><p>Okay, now before we get any further into this arc I want to say this: Part of me was debating on ending the story in this arc (not so much any more), BUT! With that being said you may notice from time to time the doom and gloom and the Story Is Ending vibe. Such as Void Furrow's insanity, Alexander's promotion, Rina's return, a whole lot of power ups, the Admirals showing up, you'll notice a lot of small steps forward in this arc. But I DO NOT plan on ending the story now.<p> 


	129. Chapter 129 The Human Weapon

**The Human Weapon**

Dale perused the dropped files once again, flipping through them with a renewed vigor. Detailed note-taking his ass! Void Furrow wasn't taking all of these notes where someone else could recreate his findings, no! They were to hide his true findings. Indeed Void was a genius! Hide an experiment within an experiment! Not to mention that the original experiment was already hidden from view with only the bare minimum of people ever finding out about it! Did Dale already call Void a genius? Oh, well, who cared? He'd call him it again! Void Furrow was a genius! Dale picked the papers up and began shuffling through them. What did Dale say about the 'Homunculus' Project wasn't wrong? They really were shipping Devil Fruits in and they really were using them in weapons. Such a thing was only a cover and once the Devil Fruits were used they shipped these new weapons away to be destroyed to re-obtain the Devil Fruit to be shipped back and re-used all over again! After all, these were only a cover for Homunculus Project...unless Void Furrow was using the Homunculus Project as the cover! His real experiment had, in fact, been the weapons!

Dale wheeled himself back over to a different filing cabinet, one that housed Alexander's reports from his past missions. He flipped it open and quickly searched through everything until he hit the one he wanted. It was the mission where he had met Specter. An interesting idea had been brought up about possessing two Devil Fruits. Something that was physically impossible. Now Dale may be repeating himself, but wasn't that what the problem was with the Homunculi? The fact that they could only have the Devil Fruit that brought them to life? The problem is there was never any experiments conducted to see if a weapon could possess two Devil Fruits. And even if they did there were virtually thousands of weapons in the world could Void really test all of them? He could...if the Marines were to be so nice as to grace him with a limitless supply of both! Dale spun back to the Homunculus Project or more importantly its 'cover' project.

A cylinder system. While not technically a weapon it was something outfitted to a weapon in this case a gun. Where basically you can vary the effects of the weapon by varying what goes into the system, in this case, its bullets. Since each bullet was a separate entity it could in theory hold its own Devil Fruit...in other words the gun could, in theory, use hundreds of different Devil Fruit powers! Now this was once again stupid after all it made no sense if you look at it just as it was, but you just needed one more piece of the puzzle to put it all together.

The problem with a gun was that after a bullet is used it basically vanishes and you're left with a blunt object. However, what if this wasn't a gun? What if it was a human? That's right, things came full-circle and Dale was back to focusing on the Homunculus Project. Think about it. An iron human that could cycle through, picking and choosing its Devil Fruit powers. Depending on the fruits it obtained it could be an absolute nightmare. And for further proof if you thought about it even deeper it came back the original question that had started this all.

Why a mace? Why was Alexander a human mace? Why was Olivia a human whip? Entropy a sword? Even the fourth homunculus (according to Dale's finding) was an axe. Why these weapons? Surely Void could've thought of something more dangerous than a mace or a whip. He was a weapons genius! He had created more weapons than the average human being had muscles (700, by the way). The reasoning is simple. It couldn't be a gun. If Void had shown what a human gun could do, surely the Marines would've caught wind of such a genius idea and had tried it out themselves. So, Void buried it. He buried it with his successes...and his failures.

Alexander caused a stir, being so basic and the first attempt surely the Marines wouldn't look further into it! They had created a human from a mace! What was more fantastical then that? The second attempt was next, Void needed to keep them looking at his fancy work and not his hidden secrets. So he created a beautiful woman, one to capture the hearts of anyone who looked at her. However, even those two would soon be overlooked as the Marines would want more power...so Void created Kaos, a man of insane strength...and admittedly of insane mind. Dale slumped back. Everything...everything that Void had done all of his work had been for this one thing. His ultimate weapon.

Void Furrow had once said that his desire was to create the strongest weapon the world has ever seen, which ordinarily had excited the Marines as they wanted this 'ultimate' strength more than anyone! Which was perhaps why Dale hesitated in running down and telling Ambrose about this. The Marines were about to enter a war telling them about an ultimate weapon that could change the fate of the world would be foolish. After all, they probably wouldn't listen to him...or even worse, they would try to build it. He remembered that the World Government once banned anything related to the Ancient Weapons...weapons of a forgotten civilization that once ruled the world due to their unimaginable strength. He was sure that such he should repeat those steps here and now and just forget about this. He flipped the pages of the book closed, but he couldn't tear his hand away from it. Certainly...Void Furrow was not only a genius, but a deadly man who had created several barriers to prevent his secret weapon from ever being leaked. Dale froze for a second as he thought it over...no...that didn't matter any more. Void Furrow was executed several years ago. Dale let out a sigh of relief, despite losing one of the greatest minds of their generation. Dale guessed he should be grateful that this secret died with Void.

"Come on out and fight me!" shouted a voice from the outside. Dale blinked twice, he had been in his own little world for the past five hours or so...nobody had even bothered to disturb him. A glance out the window confirmed his theory. He guessed he should be thankful with Hayate barking at Alexander and Specter being his loud-mouth explosion-loving self he rarely got any peace and quiet. 5 hours of it was probably overkill, but still he got some good studying done. Dale stood up and felt his legs go dead...damn, they were asleep. Dale chuckled to himself and moved forward going to the window for a brief glance outside. The great sunlight that was out there when Dale sat down was gone, replaced by a bleak dark night sky. He was lucky he had decided to move all of his stuff to the hotel before getting absorbed. Suddenly a pebble was thrown up by his window, nearly piercing the wall with its force.

A quick scan of the ground confirmed Dale's suspicion, there was an annoying person down there. It was some punk with a yellow pompadour. Dale leaned out the window. He was the only person down there and yet he was challenging the entire force of the Marines. Dale sighed, as a member of Alexander's crew he knew there was an incredibly thin line between stupidity and courage. Alexander was one of the few men that Dale knew could walk down that line perfectly fine. This guy, despite his hairdo, wasn't really scary. In a world where half fish, half human hybrids spat water capable of putting a hole in your ship...haridoes very rarely scared people. Dale shifted his weight a little bit to sit on the window sill and look down, they were on the second floor so he had a perfect view of the man...and sadly not much else. All of the seaside views were claimed by people of importance. And sadly the doctor of a crew with a very low completion rate didn't get to call 'dibs'. Nonetheless, he got a perfect front row seat for what was going on now. The man was probably 6'2" and had a real sword, but seeing how he held it (backwards) Dale felt it was safe to say he was about as much of a threat to your life as not getting a seaside view was and although it pained Dale not to have a seaside view, his life was not in any immediate danger because of it.

"ITS ALL YOUR GUYS' FAULT!" screeched the man from below as he charged the hotel and began taking whacks at it with his sword (still not realizing he was using the dull back of the blade). There were a few snickers from the other Marines who watching the sight with a Cheshire smile on their faces. Dale felt a little insulted by the man's outrage, while it indeed may have been their fault, but saying all of it was without even telling them what it was didn't really explain anything...even worse, but seeing as how both Alexander and Specter had been free and without a leash around their necks for the past five hours, Dale had to admit...it very well could be their fault. He decided to take action and responsibility for what he believed may be his crew's fault and leapt from the window, he landed slightly less then gracefully he was sure, but no injuries. Dale patted himself off, just in time for the man to take notice of him and charge him once again sobbing loudly, "ITS ALL YOUR GUYS' FAULT!"

Dale took a step back before realizing two things. 1) His crew did not have a swordsman on it and as a result Dale had absolutely no training when it came to fighting them (although from the man's posture and stance it was entirely possible he had no training when it came to fighting as them) and 2) his door was locked and he had left his key somewhere in his room, in other words he was locked out until hotel maintenance (whoever took up that job in the time of war) got a hold of him. He hoped he wasn't developing any form of mental illness to forget these two fairly important issues. Speaking of fairly important issue.

He was in the middle of a fight, wasn't he?

Dale swayed back, dodging the first nearly completely vertical swing of the pirates. Yup, even two inches from his face Dale could see plainly that the sword was backwards. He felt like he should point this out to his opponent, you know sportsmanship and what not. However, Dale had to remind himself that this fight wouldn't last too long for it to really matter. Dale stepped forward, grinding inwards with his hip and smashing his fingers into the man's chest or at least in that general vicinity. Dale then curved his fingers, grabbing a hold of the man's 4th rib and pulled backwards. The man obviously felt it as there was a slight moment of 'ah' in his face as he let himself be yanked towards his opponent. Dale's next move was just as swift, a quick pivot and smashing punch to the man's liver. Now perhaps Dale's opponent had done the single most dangerous thing he had done this entire fight in this instant, he leaned over...and puked.

Dale back stepped quickly and a quick check of his shoes confirmed his thoughts...he still wasn't very fast. Splatters of the man's lunch now coated his fairly good shoes and as Dale stood there listening to the laughter of the Marines in the peanut gallery, he was fairly certain he would never quite live this down.

"DALE!" shouted Rina as she rushed up to him, apparently just getting back from her little adventure, which Dale was tempted to ask what it was, but he supposed he had more pressing matters at hand. He reached his hand up to say 'hello', but found himself largely ignored as Rina stopped in her tracks, turning her head to the intruder and apparently recognizing him and seemed to wonder what he was doing here. Of course, none of this took superhuman recognition skills, especially when Rina shouted abruptly to the man, "what are you doing here?"

* * *

><p>Really debating on just cutting this chapter out as I decided I didn't like Dale's sprawl at the beginning. I got a bit carried away in what I thought Void Furrow could possibly be designing so I wound up writing my own slightly eccentric thoughts in for Dale.<p> 


	130. Chapter 130 Taka Gets Rolling

**Taka Gets Rolling**

"I'm sowwy," whined the poor yellow-haired punk as he knelt in front of both Rina and Dale, tears still streaming down his face. "I'm really, REALLY sorry." Dale glanced over at him, a slight bit of a glare to the glance as he wasn't sure if he was sorry for attacking him or puking on his shoes. He was okay with attacking him, it came with the job, but...puking on his shoes? No, that was just plain evil! Dale gave his shoes another swift scrubbing with a sponge, desperate to clean it of its vile new (and amazingly shiny) coating. The yellow-haired punk was basically with his head on the ground. Tears dropping onto the ground. Dale supposed he couldn't be too angry at him. He lifted his shoes back up to his nose and took whiff...nope, the stench of vomit was still there, he had the right to be very angry with him. Dale coughed for a second, a quiet wheezing came from his mouth as he shook his head.

"So, how do you two know each other," asked Dale as he continued to give his shoes a very thorough cleaning. Rina looked over and eyed Dale up for a second...possibly because she could still smell the stench as well...or maybe she had forgotten that he was a part of her crew for a second.

Rina shook her head, "well, he and his friend attacked me." Dale looked over at the guy, he wasn't a smart guy was he? "Anyways, they had a very good reason to, so I didn't arrest them. In all honesty, roles reversed...I probably would've done the same thing." Dale looked up at her, expecting to here his new 'friend's' reasoning, but Rina kept her mouth shut. Dale cleared his throat, trying to make it obvious that he was in fact trying to obtain her attention and some decent information, but Rina looked over at him and shook her head, "I can't completely confirm it, yet...but let's just say this if they are right then...then...then I don't know anything any more." Want a coincidence! Dale was beginning to feel the same way! Seeing as how nobody was TELLING HIM ANYTHING! Dale sighed, it wasn't in his nature to get mad at people, but he didn't like it when people kept ground-breaking news from him.

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT!" shouted the yellow-haired punk finally lifting his head off of the ground and glared at the two of them. His tears seeming to dry up in an instant due to his rage. "We wouldn't lie about sumthin' like this! This is a matter of our island and we were always honest about our island! It was the one thing we could depend on in every freezing winter night! Every scorching summer day! No matter how bad things got someone was always there with their door open and an extra serving of turkey in the oven for ya!" Dale kind of recoiled back a bit, surprised by the sudden change of events half-expecting him to pull a gun out of his pocket, but then remembered the incident with the sword and wondered if he would be dumb enough to hold the gun backwards, too.

"Sorry," Rina said as she crouched down to put herself at eye-level with the punk, "but I feel the same way about the Marines. They saved me when I was in trouble, so I don't like it when people badmouth them and I also trust them one-hundred percent. So, until I get complete proof I'm just going to have to believe in my gut and my heart, trusting what they tell me!" Rina nodded as if to put emphasis on her words. Dale kind of sidled backwards, unsure of what her heart and gut were telling her. And more importantly...what was this about? For someone who just figured out a genius' hidden experiment, he felt awfully lost in this conversation.

"Speaking of which," Rina said, catching Dale's attention, "we need to find Alexander and Ambrose."

"You may want to add Specter to that list, too," Dale quickly intervened. Rina looked at him questioningly, unsure of what he meant by that. "Well, he's been alone for about five hours, who knows what he's been working on." Rina paused for a second, contemplating what he had just said, but quickly grimaced as she did in fact put two and two together. She nodded swiftly, hoping they would find him before he found something to blow up.

"Anyways, I'll go look or Ambrose, while I would prefer having Alexander with me when I confront him I just can't hold back these doubts any more." Dale nodded, whatever these 'doubts' of hers were they would have to be pretty big to require a meeting with the Fleet Admiral. Rina was about to go on her less-then merry way when he stopped and looked at the punk. "Speaking of this issue, where did your friend go?" The yellow-haired punk, who Rina just realized desperately need some kind of name, looked away from her, unable to meet her stern, yet warm gaze. She bent down, her tone shifting slightly going from a kind motherly voice to one of a disciplinarian. "Where did he go?" she asked harshly.

"He...he went somewhere..." Rina was not impressed with the answer, she grabbed him by his collar and lifted him off of his kneeling position, bringing him up to her eye-level this time and asked once more this time with pure venom dancing on her tongue.

"Where did he go?"

The man swallowed hard, he tried to look away, but Rina's other hand quickly dragged his face back to forwards-facing position, forcing him to lock eyes with her. She felt saying it a third time would be trite, so she just shook him a little bit and intensified her glare. "I...I...he...he...uh..." the man was basically stricken with a mixture of fear for the once kind lady turned she-devil and his honor for keeping up his friend's secret, eventually one of them won out. "HE WENT TO TAKA!" Rina blinked twice, confused...Taka, THAT Taka? How did he know about it? More importantly where was this Taka that he had went to? Was it just a short jaunt down the street? Was it on a nearby island?

"And where is that?" Rina shouted louder, causing some of the Marines in the hotel to slowly begin to form outside. Dale blinked, feeling a little bit more uneasy. There was basically a miniature fighting force around them and while Dale was relieved for once they weren't coming at them because of something stupid Alexander or Specter did, this time it was about the cool-headed Rina, which Dale couldn't decide if it was better or worse. "Where did he go!?"

"There's been a ship stationed a few miles off of the coast for the past few days, just bobbing out there. It has a white flag with a black skull and cross bones," blubbered the punk, "its been sitting out there as if it was waiting for something to come. We reported it to the Marines, but they just ignored us...'this is a time of war. For easily panicked civilians to be hallucinating a mysterious ghost ship is common' is what they told us. We believed them for the most part, especially for the first few days. However, a few days ago a single man landed on the island by himself, no ship, no row boat, no nothing. He just kind of landed here like an angel you could say," another vicious rattling by Rina ensued, "or a demon! Like a Tengu or something!" Rina nodded, obviously pleased with his new choice of words.

"Anyways, he introduced himself to us as a member of an elite secret squad called Taka," explained the man with renewed vigor, hoping to avoid another vicious shaking. "He said something about helping us. We only needed to send one man out to the ship to negotiate terms if we did that, based on the terms and agreement reached they'd get the rest of us off of this island!" Rina bit her bottom lip, obviously unhappy. Why do bad things always seem to come in packs? "We ignored them for the most part. After all, we were probably just hallucinating after all and when we talked to the Marines about it, they said they never heard of an organization called Taka. And we trusted them again, just biding our time hoping that the Marines would come around and take the rest of us off of this island...but...I guess..."

"Yeah," said Rina letting go of the man and letting him slip back down into a hysterical puddle on the floor, "people break and sometimes its not their fault. Its the fault of the irresponsible Marines who you talked to." Rina tugged lightly on the bow around her neck. She supposed that would include her unless she got going. Rina swiftly turned around to Dale, causing him to jump slightly...he now knew that Rina's official title on the ship probably shouldn't be just plain old navigator. 'First Mate' or, hell, even Captain fit her better the way she was right now. "Go, find Alexander, Reggie, and Specter. We're going to want the entire crew for this." Dale hesitated for a second, wondering if it would be okay to nod. Rina glared harshly at him, causing him to nod with a vigor like none before! Dale got up, choosing not to waste a second more of Rina's time and rushed off.

"Now I'm off to find Ambrose...hopefully he can tell me the names of all the Marines you talked to and hand down some stern punishments!"

(-On the ship with the Black Crossbones-)

"Hello," said a man with legs so long they basically made up three-fourth of his body. He was currently greeting the green-haired punk as he walked aboard the ship. He came up in a rinky-dink little sailing vessel, one that was unfit for human or animal life. The green-haired man threw his coat to the side and let it lay on the ground for a moment before glancing up at him. "Name and reason for business, please?" asked the man, who was obviously from the Long Leg Tribe.

He was answered with a careless spitting to the side, a harsh glare, and seven words, "what the fuck is it to you?" The Long Leg Tribe member lifted his foot into the air as if he was about to squash him, but he quickly lowered it back down.

"Its everything to me, we here at the Taka organization choose to treat all of our clientele with utmost respect and that can't very well happen if we don't have your name, we may be forced to call you, Bob, punk, or even moron," the Long Leg Tribe member bent down and looked him in the eye, "yes, you definitely do look like a Moron to me."

This time it was a scoff that was his response. The two stood there in an uncertain deadlock before the punk finally relented, "call me Your Majesty then." This only seemed to further irritate the man as he began to swiftly move around, preparing to kick the man into the stratosphere and he quite possibly would've if Mr. White didn't round the corner at that very moment. White didn't have the most authority in Taka as a matter of fact he was probably only located in the third highest group, but that was still higher then the Long Leg fellow, who ceased his actions immediately.

"Relax, Beaumont," muttered White as he shook his head and laughed quietly, "no sense in getting worked up so early in our job." Beaumont, the long leg fellow seemed to calm down, although there was still a very vivid desire to kick 'His Majesty's' ass hiding behind his eyes. "Now, if you'll come with me, we can work out the agreement, maybe over a nice cup of tea, you'd like that wouldn't you, Nathan Nikels."

The green-haired man flinched briefly. How did this man know his name?

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><p>Yeah, woo-hoo! Another chapter and things are continuing to heat up this time with Taka beginning to get moving.<p> 


	131. Chapter 131 News for Everyone

**News For Everyone**

The information web of Taka was spread far and wide, reaching all corners of the world with a simple flick of the wrist, whoever doubted them would surely be in for a sore surprise...as was Jackson Nikels right now. Who was sitting very uncomfortably on the edge of his seat, not even daring to take a ship of the tea White had prepared. White sat down and sighed, "I'm sorry for the state of this room." Jackson didn't really pay it any attention when he came in, why would he? It was a simple room, the only thing he needed to know was the location of the door, which was right behind, left open to signal he could leave whenever he wanted to. However, now Jackson's eyes had finally began to trace over the room and he quickly saw what he was talking about. Bullet holes were everywhere! They were embedded in every corner, every lamp shade, even the table had one or two in it.

Suddenly he was very much aware he was being examined. He shifted his weight back around, facing White again and gave him a hard stare. White seemed to smile, taking pleasure that he had noticed it, but sadly White had important business to attend to, "our last guest was rather rowdy. He wasn't too happy with our offer, so we decided we weren't happy with him." White didn't say who it was as it wasn't important, but he also left out one other key piece of information...he got away. The bullet holes were his doing, not Taka's. Once again though story for another day...and this day promised to be too good to pass up. White was all too comfortable as he glanced his latest prospect up and down, sizing him up in just a few seconds.

Overall he had a decent build, probably did actual work for living not just sit behind a desk and push papers. White supposed that was a good thing. He had a few marks here and there, probably scruffs from another fight, symbolizing his fighting experience...then again he supposed he would rather have the man that gave him the scars. Still, White shook his head and sighed, he had to make do with what he had. "So, here about your island?" White offered, "we are quite serious about our offer. We are here to help." Of course, by that White meant help themselves. He had no care about whether or not Nathan Nikels was happy...he was an assassin, not a caretaker.

"So, what terms do you want to discuss first?" asked White as he spread some papers out in front of him. "We can discuss pay, jobs you'll be doing, people you want to get off of that island, and similar stuff." White reached into his pocket and produced a fined tip pen and handed it over to Jackson, "so, go ahead and sign and we'll tell you how much of it is doable."

Nathan brandished his blade and stretched over the table, sticking the very tip of his katana against White's noticeable Adam's apple. "I think damn well of it." At first White had a slightly worried look on his face, which came slightly from surprise and slightly because Jackson was inept with his blade and had reached too far over and actually did manage to nick him. However, that look of worry was soon replaced with a full-toothed smile as White couldn't help, but appreciate Nathan's attitude. A man who wanted it all and would stop at nothing to get it. He had to admit it was interesting...too bad, he was on the wrong ship to be making demands like that. White flipped his hand out, smoothly transitioning it out of his pocket and with a flourish swept the sword out of his path and onto the ground. Once more White demonstrated his authority, rushing at Jackson and sweeping him to the ground, quickly pinning him in place. All the while the smile never left his face. Nathan frowned, grimacing as White forced his face further into the hardwood floor of their deck.

"I like it when people are willing to sacrifice themselves for their cause, I like it even more when that cause is something as grand as getting everything, but...did you seriously think you could order me around?" White's tongue slithered the words out as he stared harshly at Jackson's face. "Come on, aren't you even going to try?" Nathan's body bucked for a second or two, trying to break free, but it was already obvious he couldn't. "Why are you trying so hard to do so in the first place? Is that pathetic town really worth this much to you? What the hell did they ever do to protect you? Those worthless vagrants, huh? Do you really think they would act the same for a punk like you!"

A rough wind circled through the ship as White tightened his grip on Nathan's arm, further pushing him into the floorboards of the ship. White was about to continue to chide on his poor foe when the sound of a light teardrop hitting the floor caused him to recoil slightly. "They would," he sobbed as he tried once more to throw White off of him, "they would do this and more, which is why I'm begging you to do everything in your might to get them off of this island! I don't need no money! I'd do anything you ask of me! I'd give you all the money I have! I'd kill opposing soldiers! I'd even clean your toilets with my tongue! Just please...please save my island...please..." White lifted his hand off of his body and patted himself clean. Jackson went to get up.

"My first order is to stay there," White's voice was filled with power, yet dripping with disrespect, despite this Nathan didn't budge. He laid there on the ground while White piddled his way around his body. White smirked, "its a deal then." White moved over to the table, producing a small pen and a piece of paper. He laid it out in front of Jackson. "Your mind, body and soul for the people of your island, huh, sounds like a swell deal to me." Nathan bit his lower lip, quickly accepting what it meant if he signed that paper, but he had no choice. His island...they needed to get out of there before the war. He didn't care who it was, be them Marines or be them this organization. He wanted to rescue them. His hand reached out for the pen, snatching it up and quickly scribbling his name out on the dotted line. All the while White stood above him, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

(-With Alexander-)

Alexander's chest sagged heavily with each and every breath, not a single one of his punches had hit her yet. Gaia was as flexible as a whip and just as vicious. The instant he thought he saw an opening, she would either strike out to force him to guard or she would just bend out of the way. His punches and kicks were slicing nothing, but air. He'd been fighting her for like an hour and yet nothing's happened. He kept throwing his power around, that was his best aspect! If he couldn't land a hit it would all be for nothing!  
>Gaia backed away as well, while her blows were at least landing, Alexander has proved himself to be a bit more of a pain then she had original expected. It was like her punches would fly through the air at lightning fast speed and run into a wall. Despite landing numerous punches against his heavy guard...nothing happened. It didn't weaken, it didn't budge one bit. She may not have the same level of power as Alexander did, but still! She was proud of her power! She was proud of her hitting strength and speed. And yet his solid guard was reducing it completely to rubble.<p>

Having caught their breath the two started up the fight again. Once more the two exchanged punches, Alexander's punch blew past Gaia, causing an uncomfortable draft of wind to whip around her head, however, Gaia's punches blistered into Alexander's solid and tightly held together arms, leaving a painful stinging reminder of his missed punches. However, neither one seemed to be in the mood for holding back any more. Alexander charged in, if he could get close enough then any of his punches would hit! A range where just sticking your arm out meant a hit, that was his goal. However, whenever he drew even an inch closer he was met with a straight shot from Gaia. A fast, compact jab that even against his guard was enough to push him back. Without being able to close-in he couldn't win. Of course, as Gaia pulled her hand back the dull throb around it made it obvious that her hand was taking more damage from her punches then Alexander's solid guard was.

"Are you ready to call it quits?" mocked Alexander as he took another blow right to his guard. However, from the light sting in his arm he knew he could keep it up again and again until he managed to plow his way right into her chest and launch a punch.

"Why would I?" she asked as she stepped back, anxious to keep the distance in between them. Her earthen armor probably gave her just a little advantage when it came to reach. As long as Alexander stayed outside of her reach, she wasn't in his. And avoiding his punches took a higher priority then dealing her own. Still from the hardness of his guard even if she did manage to slip one past it, she would still have to start breaking down his near infinite stamina reserves. Yeah, looked like she couldn't go easy any more, "looks like I'm going to have to kick things up a notch."

Alexander paused for a second, "yeah, me, too. I was kind of hoping I could save my new technique up for a fight with an actual pirate, but I guess you'll count as some sparring practice! Let's go **Hephae**-**!" **Alexander's head was blown to the side in a fiery explosion. Gaia stood there for a few seconds, blinking...she didn't do that. Alexander immediately shot right back up, apparently his never-ending power didn't even stop after being blown up. "Who the hell did that?"

"Aw, captain, I'm hurt," laughed Specter as he stood at the doorway, "you don't even recognize my signature greeting any more? Looks like I need to beat it back into you!" He took aim again, but this time Alexander ducked behind Gaia, who just looked completely baffled. Specter, however, didn't care who was in the way, pretty lady or fellow Marine, and just moved his sights with him. In the end Specter just laughed and holstered his gun again. "Ah ha ha! Did you really think I was going to shoot you, captain?"

"You already did," pointed out Alexander as he peaked out from behind Gaia's curvaceous hips.

"I did, didn't I? Ah ha ha ha!" Specter didn't really seem to care that he was making a spectacle out of themselves again, "Well, listen you might want to hurry it on down to the hotel, okay? I heard from Dale that Rina's got some big news. Of course, neither one of us knows a single thing about it. Might have something to do with Taka, though since things rarely seem to get her going as badly as this news did." Alexander nodded, he supposed he would just have to use that technique in an actual fight. He went to catch up with Specter, but found surprisingly that they had a guest, it looked like Gaia still believed that the fight was still going.

"Whatever business you have is Marine business," Gaia defended, but in all honesty Alexander was fairly certain she just wanted to see him fail and then to swoop in and save the day. Alexander just kind of chuckled to himself, wondering if that meant he could take it easy for the mission.

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><p>Another chapter and it appears as if Alexander has a new technique up his sleeve which was rudely interrupted by Specter.<p> 


	132. Chapter 132 No Explanation for this

**An Explanation for this Situation**

"So, what's up, Rina?" asked Alexander as he crossed his legs and looked up at his first mate. Rina sighed a sigh of relief. It was amazingly calming to have the entire crew in one room...even if there was one person extra. Gaia scoffed and tried to look uninterested, but ultimately she leaned forward and listened to Rina as she explained the current situation. "So it looked like the Marines didn't necessarily evacuate everyone on this island," Alexander seemed to be ho-humming a little, like he didn't want to believe the truth. Rina supposed she understood it as she did the same.

"Yeah, the Marines are really using this was as an excuse to bleed these people dry, well...some Marines are," Rina quickly added, choosing not to cast all of her old heroes into the same category as horrible men. She would hold out some hope, that the majority of them were still pure-hearted. However, as she thought that she realized she was falling back into hopeless ideology. Truth be told, she had no idea what to think. The Fleet Admiral was nowhere to be found right now...probably still patrolling the island's coast for signs of incoming enemy vessels. "Anyways, the main problem is that apparently somebody using the name Taka has tried to get into contact with these people promising them a way off of this island if they help them out. I'm afraid to admit it, but I do believe one man has probably already taken wing and is currently talking to them."

"Who the bloody hell is Taka?" asked Gaia as she leaned forward. Dale looked between Gaia and Rina, before nodding as well. Rina paused for a second before realizing that, of course, these two haven't heard of them. Dale was a new recruit to their team and Gaia was barely even a part of their group. She only seemed to just barely know Alexander...and she seemed to have a strong rivalry with him.

"To our knowledge they are an assassination group who tries to remains secret from the public eye...and the World Government is more than happy to help them out," Rina pointed out, "as far the World Government is concerned the knowledge of an assassination group is not needed for the current public. It would only create a state of mass panic amongst the everyday citizens and for the most part Taka tends to only target certain individuals. Causing a state of unrest among people who will never be targeted by Taka is not the World Government's goal.

"Anyways, it seems like Taka has currently taken an interest in this island. Probably cause like us...they have heard of the re-incarnation of the Gura-Gura no mi. This fact alone will mean that there will probably be bloodshed on the horizon, however, it seems like they have managed to convince one man out of the island's natives to join their ranks...who knows if any others will follow." The entire group slowly nodded, even Gaia seemed to understand what was going on despite just now being brought into the group. "We have no idea about Taka's current power, but one thing is for certain. They are powerful and they are NOT to be underestimated." The crew nodded a little bit harsher this time.

"So, what are your commands?" asked Alexander.

"Aren't you supposed to be the captain of this crew?" asked Gaia looking over at Alexander. Alexander just shrugged. In all honesty, he had no desire to be in charge. It was boring and it just meant all of the fault rested on his shoulders. Why in the hell would he want that when they seemed to be doing so poorly lately? "No wonder this crew is failing." Gaia seemed to have momentarily forget that she was in the presence of only people from this crew. She blinked once or twice before turning away and muttering quietly, "the results speak for themselves."

"Now before we move onto strategic planning," Rina stated, proud that everybody was still acting at least somewhat civilized, "do we have any questions?" Specter, of course, raised his hand.

"Yeah, can I blow Miss Snooty Patootie up?"

"Oh, you couldn't if you tried," Gaia bit back. Specter lifted his gun up and took aim, completely seriously. If it wasn't for Reggie managing to wrestle his gun out of his hand...he probably would've fired.

"Any serious questions?" Rina stated once more...so much for civilized. Then again Specter had at least asked before firing which showed some common human decency. It was a step in the right direction.

"Yup," Alexander said, jumping to his feet and causing the floor boards of their ship to shake a little beneath his weight. "What the hell are we standing around here for?" Rina chuckled, once more it looked like civilized actions lost out to what can only be described as the Alexander method. The entire crew was just smiling at their foolish captain, but in the end...with no information on their opponents...perhaps just an all-out offensive really was the best way to act. Besides the first strike of any fight was always important.

It was just a shame that they lost their one and only chance.

They couldn't have known it was coming. The only warning sign they had was a high-pitched scream. After that one of the small buildings in the slum, that had been housing a few of the remaining men left behind unable to buy their way to paradise suddenly went up into flames. All of the crew got up and immediately ran to the ship's deck. Lucky for them they were fairly close to the sight and it seemed like they could just barely make out the building-turned-bonfire...of course, some of them had chosen to jump off of the ship and rush to the sight, namely Gaia and Alexander. "Anybody remember the marshmallows?" laughed Specter, but he was quickly shunned into silence as Rina glared at him before jumping after Gaia and Alexander.

"Aren't you going after them?" asked Reggie tilting her head to the scene of the crime, but Specter simply laughed.

"Trust me. Where there's one fire...there's bound to be another one...our enemies aren't exactly the kind of people to stop after just one attack," Specter said wistfully as he sat down and loaded a grenade into his crossbow. "I've just got dibs on the second one. That's all."

(-with Alexander and Gaia-)

"You're not getting ahead of me!" shouted Alexander as he nearly crashed into her, so far the two of them had been managing to keep up with each other. Which was surprising as Gaia was almost always faster. It wasn't that Alexander was super slow...it was just that his speed was always considered average...which was probably considered super-slow in the Grand Line. Gaia could always win in a foot race, however, now it seemed different. Gaia hated to admit it, but he definitely seemed to have been training specifically for this moment. He ran with a certain brevity, his feet would only touch the ground for instant before pushing forward. He always had the lower body strength to perform dashes, he just never knew had to do it properly.

As a matter of fact, Gaia was beginning to worry that he could actually outpace...if they kept going straight. As they turned to go around a corner. Alexander shifted his weight to try and turn, but he couldn't seem to get any friction and wound up sliding a couple of feet and nearly into a wall before he could get going in a straight line again and chasing after her. However as soon as he got going in a straight line again he seemed to pick up the pace and was already beginning to speed after her.

"Bua hu hu hu!" laughed a loud voice as the two of them closed in on the burning building. The two of them turned to see a larger man probably about 7 feet tall and a large slick silver V-Shaped hairdo jutting out of the back of his head. "Looks like I finally found some Marines...worried you were too cowardly to face me."

"Hah, only reason why anyone would be afraid to fight you is because your hairdo might be contagious," Gaia snapped back. The man looked a little shock and his hand went up to his hairdo out of instinct before he brought it back down to his side. He wound up just shrugging it off and moving forward, Gaia went forward eager to exchange blows with him, but Alexander held his arm out in front of her. "Excuse me, Alexander, but I'm fairly certain I saw him first." Gaia went forward and pushed Alexander back aside, but he didn't budge.

"We can't both fight him," Alexander stated, "it wouldn't be fair." In all honesty, he just didn't want to work with Gaia...seemed like a pain to him. Plus he didn't really believe that he could guarantee that she won't try to kill him when his back was turned.

"And you think saying that gives you dibs or something?" stated Gaia, putting her hands on her hips and looking at him like he was insane. "I saw him first, I get to fight him." Gaia pushed Alexander aside, but once more he didn't budge and instead shown off that he wanted to fight. Gaia sighed and shook her head. "No, I'm fighting." Alexander sighed.

"Rock-Paper-Scissors then." The two of them went through a series best out of three with Alexander winning. Alexander pumped his fist as he strode forward, a large smile on his face while Gaia just kind of settled into the background. The instant he messed up, she was jumping in.

"Well, this kind of sucks for a second there I was beginning to think I would be able to take out two Marines without even having to do anything! Bua hu hu hu!" Alexander pulled his sleeve up. The man was big, strong and definitely a force to be reckoned with. However, its not like Alexander wasn't. Still Alexander looked over at the burning pile of ashes nearby and paused. He wondered what weapon had destroyed the building. "Bua hu hu hu! Wonderin' what kind of weapon did this kind of damage, huh? Well, let me put it frankly." The man ran forward, however, after a few steps his legs began to lift off of the ground and returning into his body. His V-shaped hairdo became the very tip of his long body which shrunk down to a long thin cylinder. The man's body rocketed forward towards Alexander. Alexander brought his arms together in an effort to block, however, it seemed like it meant nothing to the man, who slammed into what could only be described as an iron wall. Alexander was pushed back, his feet lifting off of the ground as he picked up and dragged through the air. The two of them crashed into another (thankfully abandoned) building. There was a brief moment of the building collapsing causing Gaia to flinch slightly. "Bua hu hu hu!" laughed the man as he pushed the fallen debris off of him and walked out of the destroyed building.

"The name's Victor VonVigolo, I ate the Misairu-Misairue no mi*," he stated with a loud laugh, "in other words, I'm a Missile human. I can transform into a human missile at the drop of a hat. So I hope you are ready for me!" he shouted as his body began to shift once more into the form of a missile. Gaia brought her arms up ready to fight back, but it was already done obvious that this man out-powered even Alexander. If she took even one hit, she wouldn't survive. She would have to play carefully. Of course, it was hard to do anything carefully when there was a missile flying at you. Nonetheless, she readied herself, steeling her arm to fire a single punch just as he was flying by. She threw the punch just as he was entering range, but sadly felt her body be yanked from its spot as Alexander dragged her out of the way.

"What did I say?" Alexander asked as he pulled his burnt-to-a-crisp sleeves up. "He's mine, ain't he?" Gaia just looked up at him in disbelief, perhaps calling him something like a wall wasn't true...after all the building the man crashed into didn't survive, but Alexander did. He was greater than a wall.

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><p>Misairu-Misarui no mi*-Missile-Missile no mi<p>

Got nothing to say, busy day, no inspiration for something witty or funny.


	133. Chapter 133 Iron Forging

**Forge of the Iron Armor!**

The missile man, Victor VonVigolo, shot forward zooming towards his opponent like a rocket. Alexander swiftly stepped to the side avoiding the blow. In all honesty it was fairly easy to just simply and calmly avoid the bursting rocket-like charge of his. Despite its decent speed the man flew too straight and it was easy to just step out of the forward rush. "**MISSILE RUSH!" **shouted Victor as he took to the air and flew directly at Alexander. Gaia shook her head, it was already obvious that Alexander had no real methods to counter the incoming missile aside from dodging. A straight-up exchange was completely in Victor's favor and there was no way he could weather another bursting tackle attack like before. The man was just too powerful for Alexander, who was such a straight forward fighter. It was like pitting two bulldogs together and expecting the smaller one to win.

Alexander was strong...just not missile strong. Expecting him to win was hard. However, to be all honest...Gaia never had high opinions of Alexander.

"**Missile Drop!" **shouted Victor as he kicked against the ground and flew upwards into the air. Alexander tracked his upwards flight and prepared to dodge. Suddenly Victor shifted from an upwards flying move to a downwards one. His missile like strength and speed being aimed directly at the ground beneath Alexander's feet. Alexander spread his feet and tested out his leg, suddenly leaping to the side to avoid the deadly blow. Victor pitched his missile-head back up and avoided crashing into the ground. He flew a few feet in one direction before slowing down to a stop. He quickly morphed back to his completely human form. "Hey, do you mind just planting your feet and getting blown to bits, huh? You dodging all my blows is making it really hard to crush you."

"Hey, maybe if you weren't so slow I wouldn't have to stand still," Alexander pointed out, which only seemed to annoy Victor. Victor walked forward towards Alexander, but Alexander didn't move an inch. Victor couldn't just take right off from a standing position it took him a couple of seconds to jump and transform. However, once Victor was in arm's reach Alexander shifted to an offensive stance spinning around and launching a kick, "**Damascus Kick!" **Just as before Alexander's directly upwards kick sliced through the air causing Victor to back up and whistle with slight delight. However, that delight soon vanished from Victor's face as Alexander slammed his foot into the ground, spun forward and fired a single punch directly at Victor's gut...and more than a little amazingly hit it. Victor gritted his teeth, his entire body bucking forward.

"That's some fucked-up punch you got," Victor said as he stood back up as he stepped forward. This time his right hand transformed into a smaller missile with the head being placed right above his third knuckle. He spun forward, his fist accelerating and dragging his entire arm with it. It smashed into Alexander's left cheek and sent him spinning to the ground, a new impressive bruise burning into the side of his face. However, Alexander wasn't given any time to lick his new wound. Victor stepped in and rotated, spinning his punch in from below this time. He fired it straight upwards, smashing into Alexander's chin and throwing his head back. "But you'll be pleased to find out...I, too, have some fucked up punches." From there Victor stepped in again this time rotating around with his left fist locked onto Alexander's right cheek. Alexander brought his guard up, blocking the punch, however, Victor's strength once more proved its dominance easily. It pushed even Alexander's solid guard aside and continued on through, smashing into Alexander's cheek and knocking him off of his feet. Alexander's head was yanked back. His vision being forced skywards for a brief moment as he tried to focus. Alexander gritted his teeth, slamming his foot down onto the floor and bringing the rest of his body in after it. He tucked his entire body behind his two solid arms and stepped in. Victor scoffed at the attempt. Victor pulled his arm back and prepared for a much bigger punch than before. He fired it forward, putting his entire weight and missile power behind it. It shuddered into Alexander's tight guard and forced him back with easy. Alexander gritted his teeth, but held on.

"Ignore your fucked-up punch...what's up with this stupidly weak guard of yours!" shouted Victor as he prepared another full-body punch He pulled back and then fired it forward, a clear stream of smoke following it. As he brought is smashing into Alexander's guard, throwing him further back. Each punch rocked Alexander's whole body. But despite the clear difference in power, Alexander kept guard up and he kept it strong. He gritted his teeth, barring through whatever punches he was willing to dish out. Alexander stayed strong, stepping in again, quickly dashing with all of his strength right up to Victor's chest.

Gaia had to admit. Alexander may be incredibly straight forward fighter with his punches and kicks, but it was almost like that was how he was built. His dense body allowed him to take as many punches as it took until he could successfully plow deep into his opponent's chest and land a single (as Victor had so exquisitely put it) 'fucked-up' punch. One of those was designed to be a game-changer and coming from Alexander's bulky massive arms and his wide shoulder and broad chest...there was no way you couldn't see it hurting like hell. Even just watching Gaia was still flinching every time she heard one of his punches roar through the air...it was insane.

Not only that but as Gaia had pointed out previously Alexander was incredibly fast with dashing in a straight-line. His leg strength was built for such a simple action. Pushing forward and off of the ground in a single, taking punches with his solid body, until finally he was within range and could let his cannon off. It was simple, straight-forward, and effective. It was the Alexander specialty. Against someone like Gaia, Rina, or many of Alexander's opponent's who couldn't easily push him off with just one hit allowing him to quickly step-in again and close the gap within moments...but against a man like Victor whose punches were capable of pushing Alexander back each and every time he couldn't easily close the gap. Of course, Alexander wasn't done yet.

He gritted his teeth and began to move forward, adding in a little bit of weaving. Bobbing his head from side-to-side to make it a little bit harder for his opponent to lock onto. However, it was still not enough. Victor let loose his own fire-power. An incredibly powerful right that curved and hammered into Alexander's guard letting loose a loud and audible clang as the metal missile fist came into contact with the iron body. Alexander was spun around from the force. He managed to hang on by a limb. Gritting his teeth and charging in only gave Victor the chance to deliver another series of powerful punches that soared through the air like lightning. The punches hit like a ton of bricks on top of their incredible speed.

Victor spread his legs to a shoulder width. He brought his arm and fired another punch at Alexander. Alexander brought his arms up and clasped them in front of him. Once more Victor's missile-like punch blew through Alexander's guard. Alexander skidded back a few feet, but he managed to stay standing this time at least. "Bua hu hu hu!" laughed Victor as he stepped towards Alexander, evading the first incoming punch. Alexander had to admit it, even with his stamina he was getting worn down. Victor's punches were slowly starting to eat through his endurance. He doubted he could take too many more punches at this rate. "If you want to give in step aside. In all honesty, I'm here for more important reasons. Just giving this island our friendly 'how do you do'?"

Alexander chuckled as he straightened his back out. In all honesty, those punches were definitely tough. He could already feel his legs beginning to cave in beneath him. He smiled and looked up. "Guess I'm still a rookie, huh?"

"You better not be giving up, Alexander!" shouted Gaia. For a second Alexander was unsure if she was cheering him on, but then he realized it was probably more like she didn't want to fight with a weakened foe and would rather Alexander just cleaned up after himself.

Alexander smiled and shook his head, "and let you have all the fun, heck, no. I just figured this man is definitely not someone I can just half-ass a fight with." Alexander pulled his arms back behind his head and let out a groan of exertion as he stretched. Victor looked at him questioningly. Alexander walked forward. "I've only known that teacher for a few years, but he definitely does teach me some interesting tricks." He took a short step forward before bringing his leg forward and catching it on the ground to build up tension. "Like this one! **Greater Flying Sickle!" **Victor jumped back to avoid the initial kick, but when the flying Rankyaku attack came at him he panicked. He quickly transformed back into his rocket and took to the sky to avoid the kick. Gaia, however, was thoroughly impressed.

Alexander was a regular user of the Rokushiki. He was basically naturally a Tekkai user, his body was already composed of iron. Combined that with Rokushiki...and guess what the only thing he's missing is a gun and he could almost simulate all of the powers. Perhaps with time he would just naturally stumble upon the rest of them. She wouldn't put it past him and his dumb natural talent. The man was oddly powerful.

"Now I can't do it as well as the demon teacher can, but nonetheless I still think I'm pretty darn good at it considering I've only really had a year or so under his tutelage," Alexander stepped forward and took a deep breath. There was no such thing as 'floating' under his teacher's watch. You either swam like a dolphin or you sank like a rock...okay, maybe a swimming metaphor isn't the best thing to describe Alexander's abilities cause he literally sinks like a hammer. However, in combat and basically only in combat does Alexander's true abilities show through as brightly as they could. "I guess after having it literally pounded into your for a few years with a teacher like him and living on the seas, you pick up on the basics."

Victor turned around, re-directing himself from a skywards rocketing to a much more direct line of fire towards Alexander. However, Alexander didn't budge this time. He stayed where he was, spread his feet wide and held out an arm. "You know what it was pretty stupid of me before running away from your attacks when you were like this. I'm not exactly all too good at running away. Must not be in my genes."

"If you take another hit from that," Gaia shouted, "you're dead and not only am I going to be stuck beating up your sloppy seconds...I'm going to be stuck cleaning up your guts from the floor."

"You underestimate my captain," said Rina as she finally caught up to them, she had admittedly gotten a little side-tracked with making sure all of the innocent civilians got away, tending to the wounded...you know, her job. But she was here now and witnessing the moment of impact. Truth be told, the teacher had separated them all from each other to make sure they didn't impede each other's progress after all Alexander's training regimen was very different from Rina's or Specter's. So, Rina supposed she was a little bit excited at seeing her captain's growth. He probably shined even brighter now.

"**Hephaestus! Iron Forging!" **Alexander shouted as his blue iron body began to take on a red hot hue, which glowed from an incredible heat. "**Armor!" **Alexander brought his two fists together and had them clash which caused his entire body to reverberate transforming it slightly. His body grew a little bulkier. His arms had obtained a whole new layer of pure iron as did his shoulders and legs. His chest seemed to increase a size as well becoming enough for two men. The armor molded around his head as well becoming a thick helmet that was shaped like a mace. Alexander then moved and held out his arm again. Gaia shrugged. Cleaning his guts from the wall will probably be the funniest thing she'd done with him.

Victor was still careening towards them, however, Alexander didn't budge. He kept one arm held out right in between them. You could hear Victor's loud laughter all the way down. "BUA HU HU HU H-!" He crashed into Alexander and unlike one would expect...the missile was what gave way not the man. Victor's entire body crumpled up as his own forward momentum tried to carry him forward, but could not push Alexander.

'For every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction' is a famous saying amongst the scientific community. In other words, Victor's full-bodied incredibly powerful charge was being thrown right back in his face. Even without even additional force from Alexander it was obvious that this was the end of the fight. But...maybe it was because Alexander couldn't stand being outdone by his opponent (even if he did win the fight he had only technically landed one punch), but Alexander swung in a punch coming from up above and coming straight down like a meteor smashing Victor's already crumpled and defeated body and sending it smashing into the floor.

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><p>I love alternate forms of the Zoan Devil Fruit, this one will get more explanation in the upcoming chapters, but yes! This is the first of the power-ups and perhaps one of the more exciting ones! Don't worry the rest of the crew (except maybe Specter as in all reality an exploding gun is really powerful as is), will be getting their own so go ahead and choose your own favorite!<p> 


	134. Chapter 134 What Should be the Sentence

**What Should be the Sentence?**

**Jail of Death?**

"So, that's it?" asked Rina as she walked up to Alexander, he hadn't shown off his latest skills as of late just mostly went to the gym and knocked a punching bag around a couple of times for stress relief and even then he mostly always got stuck training with his teacher. "It looks like its definitely stronger than before." Alexander shrugged. "What you're not happy with taking a direct hit from a rocket and living?" she asked a little bit taken back, causing Alexander to laugh.

"Nah, its not that, but all-in-all its just unnecessarily bulky, I'll probably be even slower like this," he pointed out, "not only that, but its fairly uncomfortable." Rina looked at him questioningly. This was a form that obvious augmented Alexander's already questionably superhuman endurance and he was saying it was uncomfortable. "Plus its going to be awhile before I turn back human." He tapped on his large iron shoulder plate, "got to wait for these puppies to reset themselves as they are a part of me. If I turned back human now I might wind up looking like some sort of freak."

"Did the teacher teach you this?" she asked as he poked at his shoulders. He was definitely solid.

Alexander shrugged, "I kind of thought of it when I fought Seiryu. I mean, it was obvious that my body could be molded like iron when exposed to heat, so it must be capable to be molded through different processes as well. Of course, I would have no idea how to do this if it wasn't for the teacher. He taught me a little bit on how to do it, but from what he told me about it he said it was only just scratching the surface on what this technique can do." Alexander paused for a second as he tried to think of the name. "I think it was called **Love Re****tu****rn."**

"Love!?" shouted Rina and even Gaia raised her eyebrow at his statement. They both took a quick step away from Alexander, what was he talking about love for? And with his teacher...weren't they both males? And...and...and WHAT THE HECK! Rina's eyes nearly rolled back into her head as she tried to understand this. Wasn't Alexander only technically three years old on top of this? And the teacher was like a hundred? So That means that it was...it was like crossing so many ethical boundaries at once! She couldn't believe. Hayate barked with disbelief at Alexander's statement as well.

Suddenly it hit Gaia and caused her to shake her head at Alexander's own stupidity and sigh. She couldn't believe he would do such a stupid mistake. Then again almost anything Alexander said shouldn't really shock her at this point, nonetheless she pointed out his mistake (like a good 'superior'),"do you mean Life Return?" Gaia couldn't believe she was meddling with Alexander's life (or even giving a crap), but she really truly hoped he meant Life Return.

"Yeah, that's it!" Shouted Alexander as he laughed loudly.

"Whew," Rina sighed as she took a deep breath, "that's a relief."

"Anyways," Gaia said turning to Alexander, "is that the technique you were going to use on me during our little sparring match?" Alexander looked at her questioningly, when he remembered what she was talking about. Although he definitely wouldn't have called it little or a 'sparring' match. He was fairly certain if he went down for the ten-count Gaia would've killed him right then and there...of course, he wasn't quite sure if he wouldn't return the favor. He was honestly surprised neither one of them had any broken bones considering how heavily they were throwing their punches.

Anyways, onto answering he question, "kind of?" he stated with a noticeable question mark hanging onto his own answer, "I mean, I was going to use a similar technique against you, but not that one. That one would've been waste after all I was already blocking all of your attacks anyway." Gaia looked annoyed at him. Was he trying to call her attacks weak? Alexander shrugged, he didn't really know what he said to earn that look, but he probably did deserve and to be honest he really didn't care what Gaia thought of him. It probably couldn't get any worse. "Anyways," Alexander said hoping to at least lessen some of the scorn, "what are we going to do with him?" Alexander motioned backwards and at the unconscious missile man. Rina looked thoughtful for a second, however, Gaia was pretty adamant.

"We kill him," she stated calmly as she walked over to him, her powers already activating and a large chunk of earth already beginning to grow and cover her right arm as she approached the poor unconscious pirate. Alexander jumped in-between her and Victor and held his arms wide, trying to protect him. "What do you want to kill him?" She supposed he reserved the right to, he was the one who took him down.

"No!" Gaia rolled her eyes and pushed Alexander out of the way.

"Then get out of my way." Alexander quickly bolted back in-between them and pushed Gaia away, "what do you want to send him to Dante for interrogation first or something?" Alexander paused for a second, he had completely forgotten about Dante. He wondered if he was obligated to send him a Birthday card now? Then again he didn't know when his birthday was. Should he attach one to Victor and send him in...you know kind of like a present. Wait...

"No!" Alexander shouted. He did not want to send Victor to Dante. He didn't particularly even like Dante, yeah, that's right! No Birthday card for Dante! Even if he was obligated! Wait...was that really the point of this conversation. "He needs to go to jail and serve out his sentence," pointed out Alexander, "I mean isn't that the whole point of Enies Lobby, the Judicial Island and Impel Down, the great prison?"

"I don't see why we need to imprison them. They have killed before, they deserved to be killed, there's no black and white to this subject. Its just pitch black," Gaia stated as she stepped forward again, but once more met herself up against the iron wall that was Alexander's new 'Armor' Form. She looked at Alexander with increasing annoyance, she wasn't backing down even against his new incredible bulk. She still had her own secret weapon against him. "Get out of my way," she spoke harshly as if intending to slice him down with words alone.

Alexander stepped forward, refusing to back down once more. "No." Gaia pulled her arm back and Alexander did the same, both of them ready to punch each other out at the slightest moment.

"HEY!" shouted Rina as she jumped in-between them, pushing Alexander back. Hayate jumped onto Gaia's legs and tried to push her back with his puppy power. Gaia huffed loudly, but allowed herself to be temporarily pushed back by the small dog. Alexander huffed loudly, but all-in-all he shrugged it off. He wasn't too happy to admit it, but Rina was often better for making decisions like these. Besides he was fairly certain that no matter what he said Gaia wouldn't listen. They just had that kind of a screwy relationship. Though he didn't blame her. A lot of Marines acted the same with him. An intangible barrier separated them. Alexander was 'born' into 'greatness', almost anybody who actually felt like they worked for it felt like he had stolen them of their hard work. So Rina was much better suited to this then he was...plus wording things was never his forte.

"Get out of my way," Gaia put plainly staring down at Rina. Despite talking to someone who Gaia may have actually liked if they ever got to know each other Gaia still spoke with a very harsh tongue. Rina, however, managed to hold her ground. Alexander supposed it was just proof that she had grown. The very first time they met she shrunk away from him and he supposed if this was all the way back down, she probably would've done the same then. Rina respected many high-ranking Marines and that included Gaia as well, so it was rare for her to go against their wishes, but Alexander guessed in this case that two decently ranked Marines are going head-to-head, she'd say what she though without backing down.

"We should go tell Ambrose or another Admiral," Rina stated plainly. Causing the other two to perk up with a question mark hanging above their head.

"Trying to get on the boss' good side or something?" asked Gaia as she shook her head in disbelief, "he probably wants us to carry out Absolute Justice. In other words, what I said we should do all along. Kill him." Gaia went to move forward again, but this time Rina grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Think about it," Rina implored, "we have no idea the extent of the attacker's power. Nor do we know if this was the only attack. The only reason we came here was because it was the flashiest. If there were other attacks we'll need to organize any and all data we could get from them and then and only then should we decide on the best course of action. Be it killing him or letting him live," Rina stated. Admittedly she probably would've preferred letting him live in this case, but ultimately she had to appeal to Gaia, too...besides even she couldn't say they shouldn't trust the Fleet Admiral. That would be a stupid thing to say to two Marines in a town full of Marines. Gaia nodded and accepted Rina's proposal, no matter how much she thought she was right.

Somehow despite having done all the really hard work (you know taking down a villain who could transform into a missile) Alexander once more found himself delegated to the position of carrying him to the Marine's hotel. It seemed like once again he was forced into the position of the hardworking pack mule, however, seeing as how he probably couldn't convince the other two women to take over his position he just kept quiet and followed them at a nice distance. Rina was ahead of both him and Gaia, but with Gaia in the middle she kept glancing back as if to make sure Alexander wasn't trying to cheat his way out of their deal. He didn't know if he should be crossed with her or not. Surely if their positions were switched he would be doing the same. They got fairly close to the hotel before a wave of Marines cut them off.

"Watch where you are going!" shouted Gaia. However, the group of Marines barely stopped to look at her. Instead the three of them just had to satisfy their curiosity with what they could glean from the masses running around between them and that was fairly little seeing as how everyone's voice was overlapping. As a matter of fact, if it wasn't for Gaia's interest in their complete and total madness, and her pulling one of them aside. They probably wouldn't have found anything about it. However, Gaia did and abruptly asked him, "What's going on here? Where is everybody going?" The man tried to free his arm from Gaia's grip, but couldn't. She glared at him as she yanked his entire body closer to her and stared down upon him.

"Fine, fine, fine! Fleet Admiral Ambrose was attacked and he suffered a terrible blow," shouted the men. That seemed to finally strike Gaia and stun her long enough for the man to snake his arm free from the tight grip. Alexander and Rina shared the same dumbfounded look. The man who had earlier just brought an entire ship down with some kind of high technological missile was attacked? No one should've been stupid enough to attempt such a thing. He was the Fleet Admiral...and not only that he was injured? What the hell kind of demon was he facing!? The small group joined the rushing men into the hotel and to the small infirmary that was newly added due to the Marine's influence.

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><p>Ah ha ha...wrote up a whole like three paragraphs describing Alexander's new powers. And then it got deleted. So instead of that you get me. Congratulations.<p> 


	135. Chapter 135 An Injured Ambrose

**An Injured Ambrose**

"Get off of me!" shouted Ambrose gruffly as he tossed several of the doctors off of his arms and made a move for his Marine jacket, which remained draped over a nearby chair, "I'm fine, I'm fine." Despite his protests none of the doctors seemed convinced. They all remained within arm's reach as Ambrose threw his heavy Marine jacket back over his arms and tightened it to make sure it would stay. He opened an eye and looked over at the growing number of spectators who stayed by the door and were trying to steal as many glances as they could. "Get back to your stations, men! Or need I remind you that we are at war!" he barked loudly, which caused most of them to disperse. Ambrose groaned slightly now that he was basically alone asides from the few doctors which scurried about like insects. He looked over and saw Alexander was still standing blatantly at the window (at least Rina and Gaia had the common sense to hide). Alexander waved and lifted Victor into the air and pointed at him. Ambrose looked to his doctors for some clues (as he had no idea who Victor was). The doctor shrugged and Ambrose sighed and waved him in.

Alexander, closely followed by Rina and Gaia, came into the room. "What do you want?" asked Ambrose, his tone clearly indicating what _he _wanted was some bed rest and then maybe to go for another patrol around the island. He wasn't some injured old man! He was a Marine officer (and one of the highest ranking ones at that). He didn't need thirty doctors buzzing around him like he was some injured old coot!

"This guy blew up a building," Alexander stated plainly. To his credit, it was direct, to-the point, and...nothing else really worth mentioning. "I beat him up and since he committed a crime I decided you would be the best person to deal with him."

"Admiral Nicolas should be arriving soon," mentioned Ambrose as he waved Alexander off, "I still need to document my run-in with my opponent, I can't be expected to handle yours as well. Take him to the first Vice Admiral or Admiral you see and have them handle him." Ambrose sighed a bit as he relaxed a bit more. True, as a cyborg he didn't really need to relax, but still it did him good some time to take it easy. Even robotic parts can get overheated from excessive use. He looked over at Alexander, who for some odd reason wasn't getting the hit to leave. "May I help you?"

"Well, I figured since I shared my encounter with the enemy you'd share yours," Alexander stated plainly as more of a statement then a question...then again at least it wasn't a request. Rina and Gaia quickly sped their steps up and went to the edge of the door. Close enough where if things went well they could overhear, but far enough way they could easily escape if things didn't. "Its only fair, right?"

"Son, I'm your boss," Ambrose stated as he stood up and at his height he easily dwarfed Alexander in size as if emphasizing his point of being his superior. "I make the rules, you follow them. Not the other way around. You are required to tell me about your encounters as a result this is a moot point you are making." Alexander paused for a second and scratched his head as if trying to come up with a counter-point. "Now get out of my room."

"Oh, yeah, by the way do you happen to know anything about why certain citizens aren't being transported off of this island?" Alexander asked, apparently deciding to skip the obviously failed mission and moved on to the next possible bargaining chip. Ambrose raised an eyebrow. While he didn't expressly state that ALL citizens should be moved off of the island, he was fairly certain his officers knew better than to leave innocents on an island about to be engulfed by war. "Yeah, apparently some Marines were actually charging these people for transporting them. They were making quite a lot of money off of these people's misfortunes." Ambrose's eyes flared up with anger as he moved his large body towards the door.

"Do you have any names?" he asked, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to hand down some punishments."

"No names," Alexander stated as he quickly followed along in Ambrose's massive shadow. Ambrose had to duck about two feet in order to clear the doorway. "Just what I've heard from some of the people still left behind. Oh, I should also mention that as a result of the Marines charging people for transport one of the civilians may have defected to the opposing side." Alexander didn't really want to get Rina's new-found possible friend in danger, but he did think this was of vital importance and decided to pass it down onto Ambrose. Ambrose shook his head.

"It is our shortcoming," he stated. "We failed to protect the people when they needed it most. The person who defected may actually have a better sense of Justice than the Marine who forced his hand." Ambrose nodded once more and sighed, "it is our fault. I thought I left the mission in the very capable hands of Veri Fresh. I can't believe he would do something like this..." Ambrose paused and looked behind him. Alexander had stopped in his tracks a few feet back, probably at the mention of Veri Fresh.

"Veri Fresh died sir," Alexander explained. "His efforts had awarded him a promotion."

"No, that was a mistake," Ambrose explained. "Earlier today several of my lieutenants and Vice Admirals had told me that the passing of dear Veri Fresh was an accident in the registry. That his entire Marine Base was thrown up into a chaotic mess and in that mess. One of his men had accidentally wrote his demise into the ledger and without thinking made it official. As a matter of fact, just this morning I saw him and that ridiculous hair-do of his at breakfast."

"Don't FUCK with me!" shouted Alexander as he grabbed a hold of Ambrose's collar and brought the titan down to eye-level. Ambrose raised an eyebrow at Alexander. In all honesty had Ambrose been expecting Alexander to do something like that he would've tightened his guard and probably would've plowed Alexander into the wall, however, he had let his guard down around him and talking about silly stuff, that he had allowed himself to be brought down to Alexander's level for a mere second. Ambrose soon straightened out his back, over-powering even Alexander and causing the new Commodore to slump his shoulders a bit. "Veri Fresh died..." Alexander stated plainly which caused Ambrose slight concern. "He was killed! And I refuse to allow you to trample his good name by acting like his death never happened!"

"I'm serious," Ambrose stated as he straightened out his collar, which thanks to Alexander was now crooked. "I received official notice saying Veri Fresh never died, several Vice Admirals told me about the error, and I saw his pompous trademark purple onion hairdo just this morning. I believe Occam's Razor would state that the 'simpliest answer is often correct'. And, no offense, but I'd trust my own eyes over your heart any day."

"Well, its a shame then cause I'm the other way around," Alexander countered, stepping forward jabbing one finger towards Ambrose's face, despite the good half foot difference. "I think your eyes are shit." Ambrose lowered his gaze, glaring over his stren nose and looked down upon Alexander. He swatted Alexander's hand away, daring him to escalate his small act of rebellion even further. And it was ultimately questionable if he would've if it wasn't for the sound of a siren outside.

"Crap," Ambrose stated swiftly turning around grabbing something off of his bed, which Alexander couldn't make out before exiting, "since I've been bed-ridden and forced to deal with a fool like this no one has been patrolling the coast and preventing non-Marines from landing." Alexander grunted and went out to follow him, however, stopped in the hallway and turned around.

"Not interested in the siren, captain?" asked Rina as Alexander went back into the room, sat down and helped himself to the hospital food that was admittedly brought for Ambrose.

"I'm not going there with the Fleet Admiral, that's for certain," stated Alexander, revealing that his headstrong nature hadn't disappeared since entering the Grand Line and meeting the head of the Marines. "Besides he's a big boy, he can handle himself if not when he comes crawling back I'll accept his apologize." Gaia and Rina shared the same questionable look, hoping that Alexander had meant that as a joke and did not seriously think he would do such a thing. The two girls stayed in the doorway for a few more seconds before Gaia huffed, puffed, and ran out. She didn't need to be here. She wasn't a part of Alexander's crew. Hell, she had her own, who were without a doubt wondering where she had ran off to. Let Alexander's own crew figure him out.

"Alexander?" Rina asked as she waded into the room and sat down across from Alexander. Her hand went forward and inch, she was tempted to lay it on Alexander's knee and comfort him, however, her hand flinched slightly in the air, causing her to withdraw it back to her own lap. "Are you okay? Ambrose is the Fleet Admiral, I can understand that you are little upset with him, but that's no excuse for insubordination. Its possible that he'll have you fined or demoted for that. Some higher-ups are known to do so even if it is something as small as sticking your finger in their face." Alexander huffed loudly, leaning back against the wall and taking another loud bite of his apple. "Alexander..." Rina was still uncertain on how to approach him after all this time and after Veri Fresh's death it seemed harder and harder to do. He went after her when she left, so he obviously wanted her to be besides him. However, despite how warm his actions were...even as she laid her hand onto his knee and shook him a little bit as a sign of comfort, no matter how warm his body was...she still felt as if there was a wall in-between them. She sighed.

"Something the matter, Rina?" Alexander asked, noticing the slight shift in Rina's posture as well as the faint warm glow of her hand leaving his knee.

"Yeah, s-sorry," Rina stuttered slightly, "its just this war has me on my toes. I'm a little shaken up."

"Not to mention Veri Fresh's death, huh?" Alexander stated as he got up and stretched. It was a proven fact that objects brought to life by obtained emotions and right now Alexander was feeling nervous. A war. Not only that, but a possible traitor was hidden within their midst! Alexander found himself breathing heavily just thinking about it. He was certain Rina felt the same way.

"Let's just not think about it for the time being," Rina stated causing Alexander to snap out of his own little trance. "A war may be coming, but we'll make it through. We're Marines!" Rina beamed at Alexander causing him to shake his head and chuckle.

Such a simple motto. The creed of all Marines everywhere and it seemed like they fully believed just saying this could pull them through the darkest of nights and the worst of days. It seemed like such a belief would be put to the test during the next few days. Their only hope is that their opponents were just as nervous as they were.

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><p>May wind up taking a week off soon. I've been having trouble typing like crazy. Not in terms of story ideas or anything, but like mis-typing. Soooo many spelling errors or grammar errors, repeating the same thing I JUST said, its horrible. May take a week off to just wind down and let my brain reset. I dunno, I'll see if this thing goes away any time soon.<p> 


	136. Chapter 136 A Meeting Amongst Taka

**A Meeting Amongst Taka**

They weren't Marines. Hell, it was questionable if they were even human. Calling them animals would be an insult to animals. They had gathered in the small room of the ship. They were Taka's elite agents. A few heads ready for promotion or were just ready for another job. This mission had been awhile of waiting and preparing, many of them having to put jobs on hold in order to be in this mission and now their agitation was showing.

"I've been waiting for ages to get this show on the road, is it finally time?" shouted one of the men. He was done up in war paint that completely covered his face. Blue streaks of paint dribbled down from his eyes as if replacing tears, but his companions knew all too well he had never cried over the hundreds of men who died beneath his boot heel. And it was exactly because of that that they respected him and put up with his loud mouth.

He was dressed nicely though. A long red trench coat filled with white fluff on the inside and an equally over-the-top hat on his head. Tight white pants which were hastily stuffed into red boots that came up to his knee. He looked more like a court jester than an assassin, but maybe that was why he had completed multiple missions and obtained high ranks within a community of assassins.

Of course, next to him sat his aide, a young petite girl. Where the man looked to be about 40, the girl appeared to be only 14. She wore a short red dress that like her boss's jacket was opened in the front revealing a white shirt beneath it. Not all places responded well to her boss' appearance, however, the majority of those places also couldn't turn their backs on a young fourteen year-old girl. The two of them worked well together, acting in stark contrast of one another.

The two of them smelled like blood and raspberries respectively, another stark contradiction to each other. "He means to say that he's grown tired of waiting and would appreciate it if we could move onto the festivities. If the Gura-Gura no mi is really on this island we don't really have time to wait."

"You seem to be forgetting something Red. The Marines hold the advantage here. We want the Gura-Gura no mi for ourselves while they simply want it out of our hands," explained another man as he stepped free from the shadows almost anyone who would've looked his way would've glazed over him. He was practically invisible from his spot due to his dark black robes, which completely hid his face from sight. "The Marines can destroy the Gura-Gura no mi and the entire island whenever they deem this mission as a failure. As a result we must make them think they are winning until we have obtained the Gura-Gura no mi...patience is a virtue, Red."

"Patience is a virtue? Having the goddamn Gura-Gura no mi would be a virtue and I don't have that either! So why bother!"

"What he means to say is. We need the Gura-Gura no mi, waiting any longer would be ill-advised."

"I know damn well what he meant!" shouted the man in the black robes as he returned to the shadows, "and what I meant is he needs to think things through before he does something to get us killed! May I remind you I am the only one out of us three who has managed to remain out of the World Government's sights thus far? This mission requires more stealth than stupidity."

"Oh, so I'm supposed to trust the 'stealth guy' when he says 'stealth' is required?" shouted Red, "that's like believing a butcher when he says meat is more important than vegetables."

"What he means to say is," began the girl, but she was immediately quieted by Red flashing his hand out over her mouth.

"He doesn't need to know what I mean," he said with a sneer, "it would probably just go over his head anyways."

"Can we move on now?" asked a fourth body in the room. He had long dark blue hair that turned white about halfway down. He lifted one glove-encased finger up to his head and lightly tapped on his forehead three times. "I'd rather not bother cleaning crew to clean up the mess you two would make if you fought. Please have some consideration for the lower class."

"Lower class? Like you?" mocked the man in the black hood, but despite how easily he riled Red, this new guy didn't seem to take the bait so easily. Upon noticing this he just grunted and remained in his chair that was hidden within the shadows.

The man with the dark blue hair smiled, glad he had managed to calm down his two subordinates. These three people were all captains amidst the hectic Taka organizations and more than enough for common folk. The guy in the hood was a master of stealth, nobody who saw his face ever lived.

Red was a human being who was often sent on missions where stealth was less important and eliminating a person or location was very important. He boasted an excellent, nearly perfect success rate and possibly just as important he took more jobs than anyone else. As soon as he completed one, he moved onto the next. It seemed he didn't like to sit still.

The man with dark blue hair was an assassin of a different sort. His name was Saliva Divinorum. An assassin that could hide in plain sight. He rarely faltered or made a mistake. And even if he did, it was impossible to tell as he came back each time boasting of a victory. In all honesty there was only one kind of man that made a good assassin.

It was someone who could get stuff done. And here were four people who all boasted of such talents. While complications prevented them from ever being considered to have a 100% mission success rate each and every one was more than enough for a small army.

In order their respective mission success rates were Red at 88% success rate, but with over 200 missions completed in his 10 years. That was more than a mission per month. The little girl, his partner, sported a similar record, however, since she was only part of this organization for four years she could only lay claim to about 70 missions with a 92% success rate. The guy in the hood and in the shadows was called Kalm, with 90 missions and a 96% success rate within 13 years. The calmest guy in the room Saliva Divinorum had completed 230 missions in twenty years, but with a 99.9% mission success rate only one mission that the agency has ever chalked up as a failure.

"Saliva," stated one of squires as they came into the room, "the boss requests to talk to you first."

"Bullshit!" shouted Red, standing up and pounding his large meaty fists on the table. "I should be the first person the boss should talk to! I am the man who deserves that kind of honor!"

"What my partner means to say is that he is vastly upset at this kind of respect towards Saliva while the same respect is not gifted onto him," explained his young partner once more.

"Its just a matter of seniority," stated Saliva standing up and rolling his head between his shoulders, "give an old dog his dues. I might not make it to dinner on these old bones. Za sha sha sha! Age before beauty and all that."

"Oh, I'm fine with it then!" shouted Red with a powerful nod before plopping back down into his chair. His partner followed his example. "You can go after him Kalm! Bura ha ha ha!" Kalm shot him a look of daggers, but didn't act on his intentions instead remaining coiled up like a snake in his chair, keeping a close eye on Saliva as he exited the room.

"Fear old men in careers where people die young," muttered Kalm as he moved quietly through the room, awaiting his call.

(-back on the island-)

Alexander whipped around, planting his kick downwards and into the skull of another arrogant assassin bastard. However, even those words seemed too kind to waste on him. They were more and more pirates pouring onto the islands, some of them weren't even aligned with Taka. He was fairly certain the Revolutionaries would soon be coming as well.

The Marines had tried asking for help from friendly neighboring islands, but there was only so much they could do as well. They were Marines. They were supposed to defend the blue seas, not ask for help anyways. They may initially outnumber the opposing forces, but if the Revolutionaries joined there was no telling what would happen.

The Revolutionaries were beginning to become a pain in the ass. They were beginning to overpower the Marines in many corners of the world. It didn't help that they managed to somehow convince a Celestial Dragon to join them as well as the Shichibukai 'The Reaper' Trevor. It was a problem of epic proportions. There was no way anybody would feel safe now that those two have teamed up. A leader of the people and a master of massacre.

The world was going to hell and it was their job to stop it. Alexander sighed with slight annoyance. Figured it was their job once more to get screwed over, never seemed like they had it easy. Alexander turned around, ran his fingers through his hair once more as he shook his head and began to head out.

In all honesty beating up random bad guys wasn't what he wanted to be doing right now. He had other things he wanted to be doing.

Namely the Marine that was in charge of getting the natives off of this island. Alexander just didn't understand how it could've happen. According to Ambrose the person he left in charge of it, but Alexander knew for a fact that it wasn't. It made no sense. Alexander paused as he tried to think of it again. Who else could it be? Or what else could it be.

Alexander couldn't piece it together. Somebody else was around and apparently posing as Veri Fresh and, of course, Alexander wanted to find out who it was. Alexander gritted his teeth as he moved forward. He was growing more and more annoyed as he thought about. He was lucky he didn't punch a hole in the nearest Marine he met. He tapped on the man's shoulder and pointed towards the guy he had just taken down.

The Marine nodded and quickly picked up the fallen guy, slapping a pair of handcuffs on him and dragging him away. Alexander smiled before leaving. He'd let some other Marines handle the attacks for awhile. He'd do a bit more searching into the depths of the god-damn fake Veri Fresh. He would've liked to talk to Ambrose a bit more to do that, but the two of them didn't seem to be getting off on a good foot.

He wondered if any of the people on this island may have an idea of what the guy was doing. Certainly another Marine would've seen Veri Fresh since Ambrose did. The fake Veri Fresh undoubtedly had several people under him to help insure people got off of the island. Alexander supposed he would just talk to those people.

He didn't have any names, but he was certain after a bit of digging he would locate a few names. Perhaps it was wrong of him to say especially as a Marine on an important mission like this right now, but...his priority was assuredly finding the culprit and making sure he didn't get away with disgracing the good name Veri Fresh.

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><p>Another chapter!<p> 


	137. Chapter 137 Research Time

**Research Time**

Dale was alone in the small Marine cafe they had set up to make the life before the war a little more livable. Dale was kind of surprised nobody else had been out and about in here. With all of the recent assassin attacks most Marine were out trying to take them down...or they were hiding from their superiors. Dale shrugged it off. His captain and fellow crew mates were busying themselves with handling them. This left him open to handle other issues. He was busily bothering him with other issues.

Dale leaned back sipping silently on a cup of tea. He remembered Alexander's earlier problem. Alexander had stated that Ambrose had spotted Veri Fresh. Of course, Dale knew better than that. He had been one of the people to attend Veri Fresh's funeral, so he knew Veri Fresh couldn't have been alive. However, with that being said Dale wasn't about to call Ambrose a liar.

That didn't change the facts though. Bottom line was there was no two ways about it. Veri Fresh was either dead meaning Ambrose was seeing things or was alive and well. Both meant something equally horrifying. Of course, Dale supposed it could be a third option and that was Veri Fresh was alive, but Ambrose did see him walking around. As ridiculous as it sounded it wouldn't be the first time there was a case of a 'walking dead' being entered into the Marine's archives. Dale supposed this meant a bit more research into those archives would be necessary and he was probably the best man amongst Alexander's crew to do so then. He paid his bills and headed out.

He supposed he was lucky. In the past he would have had to sailed all the way back to Marine headquarters or wait for a news-coo to deliver it to him. However, now with the advents of technology emerging there was a Library Den-Den Mushi which is made to have a direct line to the massive archives of Marine-Ford. He just had to find one of the Den-Den Mushis that had a line to it. He was certain if one or more of the Admirals were on this island one of them would have one. Only question would be if they would let him use it.

Dale set off to find one of the Admirals. It didn't take him too long to find one. Even Admirals liked to have a break and he supposed that's exactly what Admiral Nicholas was doing when he found him stretched out and laying down in one of the cots the village had set up. It was strange to see a man of his stature in the middle of his afternoon nap. The goliath known for crushing giants' skulls like candy seemed almost peaceful in his half asleep slumber. Although the pure steel sword resting at his waist would probably disagree especially clasped in a vice-like grip like it was.

Dale reached forward about to awaken the slumbering monster that laid before him, however, beofre his hand touched his skin the Admiral quietly muttered, "Wake me and you're dead." Dale's hand jumped back to his chest.

Of course, in Dale's mind there was the muttering of how he was obviously awake so obviously Dale couldn't wake him cause he was already awake. However, Dale knew better than to speak up against a higher-up, so he just kept his mouth sealed. The Admiral seemed to appreciate it. "Good thing you know to stay quiet rather than saying something stupid," Nicholas commented. "I get a one hour break every four hours. During this one hour I must sleep, eat, and maintain my form. The other three hours are donated to smashing in enemy skulls."

Dale nodded. Nicholas was known for being a Marine that was a little overzealous in his actions so Dale didn't want to upset him as a result. Dale just kept quiet and let him speak.

"I'm busy," muttered Nicholas as he shifted his weight up and motioned to a nearby Marine, "tell him what you need and he'll tell me when I'm back on duty." Dale smirked, he supposed the guy was lucky that he was allowed to get away with that. He supposed it came with seniority and all that.

"I just want access to the library Den-Den Mushi so I can find out more about a certain problem that has arose within our ranks," Dale explained causing Nicholas to shift uncomfortably. "I promise it won't take too long." The man huffed loudly before grumbling.

"Fine, since you've woken me up anyways," he waved forward signaling to the young Marine to move, "escort this young lad to my ship. My Librarian Den-Den Mushi is located in my quarters. You are free to touch that, but...if you touch anything else in my room I will kill you." Dale shivered. The guy wasn't lying.

Dale bowed, respectfully as he slipped backwards, "don't worry, I'm not going to dig around in your room so have a nice day." The young Marine motioned for Dale to follow and Dale did so diligently. The two made their way down to the docks and boarded the small ship that belonged to the vicious Admiral.

Dale never felt more out of place in his life. The room was covered in memorabilia from various fights in the great Marine's life. Shredded armor, crushed swords, Dale was fairly certain he even had a jar that was just crushed bones from his past victims. The guy was a genuine war hero, although Dale couldn't help, but shiver at the thought of the monster still.

"Its over there," motioned the Marine making Dale jump again at the sound. He was just thinking about how Nicholas was easily not a man who he would want to fight with. He supposed he was lucky and didn't have to, but the monster was still stalking the hallowed halls of Marine Bases.

Dale shook his head clear of such traitorous thoughts and straightened himself out. He just came here to check the library archives with the Den-Den Mushi not question the man's character. Dale picked up the small snail phone and called it in. The Den-Den Mushi was small, green with a red 'L' on its side. It shell was also hollowed out in the middle for a book to fit in, but this one in particular had a large metal sheet in its place. The Den-Den Mushi was capable of reading any information put into the slot out loud, making them very valuable. However, in order to maintain a link to the other side where the rest of the snails were this one needed a special modification.

The special modification was the steel layer in its slot. The Den-Den Mushis have come a long way since years of the past and Dale was thankful for that as they made this particular task a hundred times easier. He was on hold for awhile as he was patched through a couple of 'Relay' Den-Den Mushis, which were another fun discovery of this new age. Large snails placed at certain locations which received and then boosted calls all over the Blue.

These 'Relay' Den-Den Mushis were very helpful as the could even relay multiple calls through a White Den-Den Mushi making certain calls untraceable by the likes of Black Den-Den Mushi, which made Dale feel certain no Taka individuals were tapping his line right now. He had a few more minutes of peaceful research ahead of him, before the storm came.

His friendly guide was beginning to feel pressure though as he watched Dale make the call. And no amount of friendly gesturing seemed to ease his mind. Dale just shrugged it off and let the young Marine go about his business. The young Marine finally bit hit lip and just left. Dale felt like asking what was up, but as soon as he opened his mouth to do so he got patched through enough to start guiding his call through the massive archives.

He supposed his call should start at anything having to do with the walking dead. See if this was a common occurrence or anything. Of course, like he said this was a massive archive, so he could be on hold or just listening to pre-recorded voices and Den-Den Mushis work their way around for hours. He really wished the young Marine had stayed back to keep him company s this promised to be a very boring job.

However, just as he thought about that he heard foot-steps coming down the steps. He supposed the guy must've decided to come back. The young Marine was indeed coming back down the steps, stopping at the foot of the stairs. Dale waved at him. As if saying that he was indeed not doing anything the Marine had to worry about. Dale was greeted back with a blank stare. Dale was about to motion for the guy to sit down, but remembered the effect it had last time and just continued to ignore him.

Or at least that had been the plan. Dale stopped working and put the phone onto the table to get a more clear check on his visitor. Just as Dale had thought. The man's breathing had developed into short, but still clearly ragged breaths. Not only that, but Dale was also fairly certain that the guy was dripping drool from his mouth as he breathed.

Dale was uncertain what it was, but in that instant he felt a sharp gaze lower itself over his body and he immediately clenched up. He was certain that somebody like Alexander would refer to it as instincts, but as a man of science he preferred to think of it as something more logical than 'he felt his opponent's killing intent'. Nonetheless he wasn't somebody who questioned something that may save his life. He dodged to the side, going straight into roll. He tumbled a couple of feet away barely separating himself from his desk and where the bullet went into the wall.

Dale rolled onto his side eying down the hall where the man who had just clearly took a shot at him stood. The man's eyes were just as dead as they had been they had been the last time Dale looked at them, as a matter of fact Dale blamed himself for not noticing it sooner. The man's mouth was agape as he stared back at Dale and indeed there was a stream of drool hanging out of the corner of the man's mouth.

Dale pulled himself back a few feet across the floor as the man drew another bead on his head. Dale panicked, he reached up and yanked the nearest item he could find off of the walls. Lucky for him, the room was filled with the war memorabilia. The very first item he grabbed just so happened to be a shield. He yanked it down to his level and slammed it in front of his face. Dale felt the bullet slam into the shield and shiver all the way up his arm. He gritted his teeth and stayed together. However, he barely managed to take another breath when he heard his opponent's gun click as they reloaded.

Dale didn't have the essence of time here. He needed to get past this stupid opponent until he either ran out of bullets or was close enough to land a blow of his own. Of course, as Dale wasn't made of iron or rubber that was easier said than done. He'd have to settle down into a place and wait for the perfect opportunity to show the what he's learned.

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><p>...why has this not been updated. I KNOW I tried to post it last week. And I was fairly certain even the week before...what's happening?<p> 


	138. Chapter 138 Salvia

**Salvia**

Dale was still pressed against the back of the wall. His enemy, a half-conscious almost zombie-like being with a gun and a pocket full of bullets. The man had a near constant stream of drool coming from the left corner of his mouth, which was almost sent flying with each each heavy labored breath he took. Dale just stood there, watching the man walk like a zombie as he drew closer and closer to his target. Him.

Dale rolled to the side and grabbed his bow and arrow. He admittedly wasn't as Specter, but his target was only a few feet away. He had enough training to hit him from this distance and hit him well. He quickly loaded an arrow behind his small shield wall. It didn't provide him with much cover, but he was thankful for the little cover it did provide him with. He safely loaded an arrow into his bow.

He took a deep breath. He needed to calm himself down in this situation. Not only that, but hold his breath and take a shot at the monster. When he popped back up he would have only the barest flicker of a moment to take shot. During that flicker he would also have to take aim and take care in doing so. He needed to bring the man down with one shot.

However, Dale peaked his head out past the shield and immediately pulled it back behind it as the man unloaded a quick shot at him. Something was off. The man didn't seem like a villain, as a matter of fact, he seemed completely unaware of his surroundings. He acted like somebody who'd been brainwashed, barely conscious and ready to keel over from a strong breeze.

Dale swallowed his spit at the same time made one smooth motion from his laying position to a kneeling one. It was a seamless transition and Dale had a bead on the man quicker than the man could drool. Dale launched the arrow. It stuck fast in the man's shoulder. The man rolled back, spinning to the side and into a stumble. Dale smiled. It was a nice clean shot that would've pinched a nerve and while it didn't render the arm unusable, it made it a bitch to move. As a result Dale felt fairly comfortable in believing that the man's arm had been rendered unusable along with his gun.

He was wrong. The man was already taking aim again despite his injury. The bullet found its way into Dale's side, throwing him back and away from his latest bit of cover. One of the benefit of a gun over the bow is the quickness of the time it took to fire two consecutive shots. Dale didn't have enough time to draw another arrow, take aim and fire. The man was already locking onto Dale's head.

Dale rolled to the side squeezing beneath Nicholas' large king sized bed. He hoped that the bed had some kind of iron bottom, but as he rolled beneath it, he saw that it was decidedly just a box-spring and mattress, meaning his protection was pure and total fluff. The shot blew through the mattress and dug into Dale's leg. Dale gritted his teeth. Dale quieted down.

There was absolutely no noise coming from the bed causing the young guy to slow down. He slowly stepped towards the bed. The guy looked down on to the bed as he took aim at it once again, perhaps just a way to ensure his victim was quite dead. However, he found himself with an arrow jabbing into his foot. Dale let the arrow fly into his victim at point-blank range. The arrow burrowed into the enemy's leg easily crippling him further.

The man's eyes went wide as apparently a little pain went through. Dale spun around slamming his foot into the arrow and driving it in even further. The man backed down, however, Dale believed that the man backed off more from the force of his kick than any pain. He was fairly certain the man didn't even feel pain any more regardless of how destroyed the bone must've been in his leg.

Dale twisted around, striking out from under the bed once more, this time grabbing onto the arrow and ripping it out of the man's leg. While it may seem odd to think of the arrow as something useful in the young Marine's leg it was acting like a sort of block. It kept the guy's own leg from collapsing in on him as well as preventing him from bleeding out. With that being said when the arrow was pulled out, it stopped doing both of those things. The man practically fell forward, hitting the bed frame with his ribcage at the same time as a geyser of blood erupted from his leg.

Dale scrambled out from under the bed. Getting back onto his own two feet, he twisted around. He still held the one arrow in his hand and he rammed it into the man's back. The man leaned forward, completely collapsing into the bed as a new geyser of blood erupted from his back. However the man should've considered himself lucky. Dale could've rammed it into his spine, prying an opening between two vertebrae with ease. However, a slight pause in Dale's thrust was spawned from the man's uniform and his odd behavior. Dale still didn't believe the guy was completely evil.

The man spun around, pushing him back and forcing Dale back a few feet. The guy tried to reproduce his gun, but as soon as he moved his hand out, he stumbled unable to keep standing any further. He was unable to keep standing without some means of support. He hit the ground hard right before Dale's feet and slid the gun clear across the ground. Dale dove down, immediately producing a small vial of clear liquid and injecting it into his victim's throat. A strong anesthetic. Dale breathed heavily looking down at the young Marine. The guy was done.

Or not!

The man lunged forward back at Dale, forcing Dale onto his back as he pressed down on top of. Dale could feel his heart beat a mile a minute. The guy was injected with enough drugs to take a man twice his size, but he was still going at it. Dale growled loudly as he reached forward, bashing his opponent upside the head and forced him off.

He produced a couple of handcuffs if he couldn't stop him with drugs, he'd just have to use force. Dale lunged at the man quickly forcing his wrists into the handcuffs and cuffing him to the bed to keep him steady. The man was still growling and lunging forward, but now he was no harm to anyone who was more than one foot away from him.

Dale took a deep breath, stood up and slowly nodded. He had to go get some help from someone else. He needed to report this. He got up and was about to bolt when all of a sudden he froze as the Den-Den Mushi finally got pushed out a quick couple of beeps. Dale rushed back over to the Den-Den Mushi to see if there were any cases of 'walking dead'.

To his surprise there were a lot. No...more than a lot. The Den-Den Mushi had several unsolved crimes which involved the 'suspected killers' being already dead. Buried, killed, and a lot more than that. Dale took a deep breath and continued to sort through the papers, giving a quick glance over to his visitor. He was safe for the time being, but with this news he wondered if it was possible for someone to have brought the dead back to life.

Dale bit his lip and began to leave. He walked up the steps, unsure of how he was going to describe this to his superiors. He was unsure if he even wanted to be the bearer of bad news to someone like Nicholas. He was on the deck of the ship when he saw someone sitting on the railing.

The man had blue hair which turned white a little of the way down. Both of his hands were encased in gloves and he wore a trench coat that had a similar design as his hair, blue up top which turned white down towards the bottom.

Dale wasn't expecting to meet someone this quickly, but he was thankful. "Hey, friend!" Dale shouted as he ran up to the guy, waving towards him. "A guy down there, he went crazy and attacked me. I cuffed him to Nicholas' bed, but nothing else seemed to be stopping him. The guy was like a zombie." Dale laughed, realizing what he just said. A man of science claiming the master was a zombie. He shook his head. He probably sounded like an idiot.

"Yeah, I know," stated the man, causing Dale to take a breath of relief. He believed him. "I already called some people to come by and take care of him. Can't have anybody handling this mess." Dale nodded. "I know I fucking hate taking care of messes." Dale smiled, he wasn't exactly fond of cursing, but he supposed some people were.

"Well, I would like to wait for someone to come here and see them take care of them, but I got important news I got to hand down," stated Dale as he rushed back, beginning to leave quickly, but he was stopped near the plank. The man's hand snatched onto his head and began to push him back and out of view.

"News?" laughed Saliva as he pushed him back. "No such news should be handed. The longer you Marines have the illusion of internal strife, the easier our job will be."

Dale paused for a second before he opened his mouth and stupidly said, "Taka."

"Well, I'll be damned, you've heard of us," stated the assassin as he slammed the Marine into the ground and planted him firmly onto the ground. He moved forward and pinned him down with his knees. A few more men started to pour onto the deck, Dale was about to shout out to them when he realized they weren't Marines...they were pirates. They were going to handle the mess down there.

"The name is Saliva Divinorum," laughed the man, "you've probably heard of me. I have a small bounty from the South Blue. I was such a stupid kid back then, but like all people after doing some stupid things I studied and figured out a few new tricks. You see, I'm a doctor. A damn good doctor, too."

Dale wasn't exactly in the mood to swap recipes for drugs. He just laid on the ground and glared viciously up at his partner. The man nodded with a clearly evil smile.

"You see, you've heard of how the human brain is kind of the center of the human body," he explained. "Well, another interesting fact is that when a tumor grows in the human body it is possible for the human to experience a personality change. You can also do the same by taking out a piece of the human brain. That's what I do." He touched Dale's head and smiled.

"I insert pins into the human head and with that I can activate certain elements of the human brain...or deactivate them for that matter," he said with a smile. "Of course, dead humans also have the same brain wavelengths as long as I can give them a jump start with an electromagnetic wave. In other words, I'm a man who can control the dead or the living."

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><p>...finals week is coming...no energy left to think...<p> 


	139. Chapter 139 A Fallen God

**A Fallen God**

Alexander moved forward, clenching his right arm. The pirates who were beginning to flood this island were becoming more and more prominent and so far none of them seemed to be aware of Taka. They all spoke of someone who alerted them to a great power that would bloom here and they came here to get it. They were all being used.

The most recent fight was against some pirate with a 50 million belie bounty. Alexander had a bit of trouble with him, but all-in-all it wasn't the hardest of the fights he had. He was still growing in terms of strength and he had to thank his teacher for that. However, even better than his own bursting strength was knowing his crew was doing just as well.

Specter, Rina, and Reggie had both returned with pirates with random bounties, but they were for the most part uninjured. Alexander supposed that was good enough. However, he hadn't heard from Dale in awhile.

He supposed unlike the other three Dale wasn't exactly an overly eager fighter. He was happier behind a desk any day than on a battle field. Alexander supposed it was better than having his doctor injured, but still after those days fighting under his teacher's watch Alexander still believed that Dale was still a capable fighter.

Dale had more tricks up his sleeve than Alexander had originally thought. The guy was never a huge fan of fighting so Alexander assumed that he just never really put any of his plans into action. Then again he also didn't act so much against Kaos. Dale did a good job on that ship, probably more so than his other crewmates, possibly even better than Alexander did.

Alexander shivered as a little bit of rain fell and hit Alexander on his head. Alexander turned himself up and saw the dark clouds already setting in. He didn't remember rain in the forecast, but then again the days were beginning to blend together. They were all the same it seemed to be. Alexander was pretty sure he had just beaten up a nonstop slew of pirates since he landed here. He supposed he could be doing worse.

Alexander spun his arm as he looked back up at the skies, he opened up his hand and accepted a few more of the pouring rain. Alexander let the water puddle in the palm of his hand. He mindlessly walked forward. The rain would probably quell some of the incoming pirates on account of low visibility and the fact that this was never a popular island. How the Gura-Gura no mi was even supposed to wind up on this island was a mystery to Alexander.

Alexander paused as he took another look at the water pooling in his hand. At first Alexander was just going to tilt his hand and let the water run off of it, but he paused as he took another look. The water was weird. He thought rain was supposed to pure and see-through, in which case he should see his own hand through it, but in this case he couldn't.

The water was pretty much black. He let it pool off of his hand and shook his head. He supposed some kind of filth must've gotten up there, smog or smoke from a nearby factory perhaps. Then again he didn't seem to recall one on this island or any ones on the map.

"Hello, there young Alexander," stated a young female voice as a quick whirlwind of ash whipped around Alexander. Soon a female form came into view out of the ashes. A pair of emerald green eyes appeared amongst the dark cinders. Soon the black cinders fleshed out white skin layered on top of it as well as gray hair which flowed free from her head. She was fully clothed, although many people would probably consider her outfit outdated and clunky. Black cowboy boots and a similar hat, a black vest that was wrapped around a white shirt. She was dressed more for a rodeo than a war.

Alexander took a step back. He could sense something weird about her, he couldn't place it, but he knew better than to tick the girl off. With all of the rain Alexander couldn't really smell or her anything aside from the rain, but still he had a feeling that if he could he would really regret it. It would be the smell of death that radiated off of her.

The dark ash once more whipped around Alexander's head as her hand materialized on his shoulder. "I'm here for a certain offer aimed at you," she stated as once more a swirl of ash appeared behind Alexander forming a chair as she pushed him back into it.

The young Marine didn't say anything as he didn't know who she was. He didn't know everybody in the Marines or other friendly operations. She could be a Cipher Pol Agent or something or perhaps a local police officer. Either way he couldn't just spurn her right this instant.

Once more the ash spun into the air forming black dollar bills that fell to the ground around them as the girl spoke in a lovely contained voice, "As it currently stands our organization is split between three major powers as it currently stands and I'm afraid not all of the powers are currently working to achieve what is best for us."

"For you?" Alexander asked causing the girl to snicker at his bravado. The girl shook her head.

"I'm fine with people pursuing individual goals, but when that individual goal begins to overpower their loyalty to the government I question whether or not we should keep them," she offered.

"And you can't just kick him out?"

"He's a useful individual he brings some special talents to the company, but if we had you we wouldn't need him," she stated, "even better though if you take him out I'll be able to keep my hands clean. This is not the type of business that having fingers point at you is a good thing."

"What are you? A lawyer?"

"Nothing that evil," she affirmed, "you are talking to one of the three 'gods' of Taka."

Alexander didn't hesitate now. He spun into a massive kick that arced above the girl's head and right back down intending to sever her head from her body with as much power as he could muster. The attack hit right on, but went through her body as if it wasn't even there.

"And that's why I encourage you to join us," she stated with a quiet whisper. "You are definitely worth the trouble with a kick like that."

"You say that, but I didn't even scratch you," Alexander practically spat back at her. Anything resembling manners had vanished when he heard the name Taka. The girl nodded.

"I'm like you a special breed of human," the girl responded. Alexander went to accuse her of being a homunculus like him, but she simply shook her head and continued, "no, I'm not a homunculus. I was not artificially created. I was born and raised as any normal human would be. No offense to your kind. After all, I understand the pain of being separated from the normal humans due to a difference that you had no control over."

The young woman sighed. "I ate the Yomi-Yomi no mi. A legendary Devil Fruit due to its position of being eaten by a member of the last Pirate King's crew. I was under similar circumstances as he was. No real body to return to upon my death. You see, my body was cremated so when the Yomi-Yomi no mi's ability finally allowed me to return," her body dispersed, returning to the form of a million ashes that swirled around Alexander. "I lacked a real body. I returned to life in this form."

"If you think I'm going to join Taka because I feel sorry for you think again!" Alexander shouted as he tried to locate her head before just randomly putting his fist through the ashes.

"I would never even think to prey on a human being's kind heart, after all I don't believe there even is such a thing," she stated with certainty, "I was never very much of a romantic."

"I don't know about that," Alexander grumbled, "betraying your company cause it no longer suits your need, coming to see me in your ash form, I think all of that is the epitome of romance." The woman gave Alexander a brief, but obviously fake chuckle.

"Perhaps it is," she stated as she moved back over and into the rain, "it is definitely the epitome of human behavior wouldn't you agree? Betrayal? Threats? All for a larger slice of the pie? Sounds exactly what you will probably do one day, huh? Betray your closest friends just to move up the ranks."

"You obviously don't know me, lady." Alexander clenched his fist once more. This time he would hit her. He would put everything he had learned in these past few weeks into this punch.

"I never said I did, I just assumed you were smarter than that," she stated, "betrayal is the quickest way to move up the ranks and if you don't use it, somebody else will. I am no more or less interested in taking over Taka than my 'partners' are. They are all moving to obtain a larger slice of the pie through their own methods. I have a simple method to my life. Before people will betray you, you have got to betray them." She emphasized each word she spoke causing Alexander to understand this wasn't the first time she betrayed someone, nor was it the first time she had been betrayed.

"You do know you don't need Taka," Alexander offered her causing her to chuckle as she flipped her hair back. "You'd be a much greater asset as a Marine."

"Now aren't you a romantic?" She stated with a quiet whisper. "You honestly think the Marines would have me someone they have given the epitaph of 'Death God' to?" Alexander shied away, she had a good point even if he had not known it earlier.

The person with the epitaph 'Death God' was an unknown human. Male, female, old or young, all facts about this person was completely covered. Not by the noble Marines, but rather by the 'Death God' himself. They came quietly, killed silently, and left without a trace. And Alexander finally understood how. Her body was composed of ashes just as she moved with the wind, she could escape from any crevice she found. She was an uncatchable assailant. And she knew it.

It was why she was here, of course. Why she felt so comfortable in brazenly appearing right before Alexander in spite of the dangers. However, in Alexander's opinion that was more of her growing soft than her being strong. Alexander tightened his fist. His last few attacks may have came up short against her, but he would make this one would drive straight through to her skull.

He was unsure if she picked up on his intentions or not as she seemed to tighten up a bit, but she didn't back away or even throw up a guard. She seemed as cocky as ever as she looked Alexander over once more. One good punch was all Alexander would be betting it on.

It was Alexander's own fault that his last one hadn't even scratched her. A slight forgetfulness on his part, but now he was ready. He felt his fist pulse as a fresh wave of Haki embedded itself into him. He lashed out, his fist pumping itself forward and scorching onto its target. It locked on quickly, a straight shot for his opponent's head. With Hake pulsating through Alexander's already incredibly powerful punch there was no doubt in his mind that this punch would send the 'Death God's' head spinning.

Alexander's punch screeched through the air like a missile. It found its target right in the girl's cheek. The girl's cheek gave way to the mighty blow as Alexander throw all of his weight behind this one punch.

* * *

><p>Oh ho ho! So many problems came when pushing this one out, just so many people needing a dose of CSpacian! YEAH! And by people I mean my teachers and my dad...had to help him to do some Christmas shopping.<p>

The Death God is the work of Labyrinth Designer


	140. Chapter 140 The God Of Death

**The God of Death**

Alexander's punch was like a missile as it penetrated the air. Haki crackling about his fist as it soared forward like a missile. His entire body was spinning like a top over his right foot, forming the most powerful hook he could muster. With his weight supporting his punch it was probably one of the most devastating punches in the Marines. His iron mace-like qualities accentuated his punch to an incredible degree.

Those last few months of rebooted training sessions did more than provide him with a few new techniques and the fundamentals of Haki. It strengthened the foundation of all of his techniques. Leg training and arm work to increase his overall destructive potential. Right now that increased destructive potential had been turned onto one person.

The 'Death God' just had her head plowed into by Alexander's incredible fist. A normal human who had been met with such a tremendous earth-shattering punch probably would've been shook to the bone and knocked clean unconscious. However, this was not your average nor normal human.

Alexander's fist went right through his opponent's head like a bullet tore through paper...which was entirely too easily. The girl's head gave way completely. Ash swirled down Alexander's arm to his shoulder where the 'Death God' began to reassemble right next to him. "You're awfully weak, don't you think?" Alexander growled as he looked up at his opponent. The 'Death God', huh? The name seemed right as Alexander was beginning to think he was dead meat.

"It was a nice trick to embed that technique with Haki, but it was a sad attempt altogether," she stated as she settled down next to him. "Haki is known to cancel out Devil Fruit powers, but you see my physical form only exists because of my Devil Fruit so if you were to cancel out my Devil Fruit powers than I lose my physical form and you lose my target! You're just punching hot air."

"You're full of hot air?" Alexander stated with a chuckle as he looked back at her. The girl just shook her head and sighed. Alexander smirked back at her, "don't you have any witty comeback?" Alexander stepped back and lifted his arms up to guard tightly from any possible attack, the Death God just laughed.

"You're not worth it," she stated with a quiet chuckle. "You could be a worthy ally, but the problem is you're definitely not worth it yet. You're still a growing boy so keep kicking pirate's butts, eventually you'll be worth something to me and Taka."

"Did you forget that you came to me?" asked Alexander. "You wanted me to join your team, right?"

"Yes, but only because the man I wish to get rid of is someone you are very well acquainted with. A Void Furrow?" she whispered causing Alexander's back to go rigid. He remembered the tales of the demonic scientist who had managed to create not only him, but another hundred or so weapons that were responsible for the destruction of several towns.

"I know you what you're thinking," laughed the Death God, "you are probably thinking about his legends through and what originally attracted Taka to him."

"So you guys raised the dead?" asked Alexander, "or did you give a corpse a seat of power?"

"He never died, he managed to trick you Marines and convince everyone around him of his own death," laughed the Death God, "however, now that his ultimate project is near completion we are running out of any reason to keep him on his short leash. He may as well obtain more and more influence and if he does than it may get to the point that he has more power than me and turns the table. He may even expel the boss."

"The boss?" Alexander asked. "I thought Taka's power was divided evenly amongst you, Void, and somebody else. So why did you call somebody else the boss?"

"All things have a beginning and that's him the only original starting partner who has managed to live through an endless number of assassination and other types of mission," the Death God stated. "He's someone whose power is nearly limitless. He could carve out an island with a single hand."

Alexander nodded. He knew somebody like that as well. His teacher. Alexander shivered as he thought about fighting someone like that. The demonic man who was in charge of an assassination ring. He had to be a true demon, maybe even someone who exceeded his teacher in power.

"I don't really care about that," Alexander responded calmly. "I don't really care for your organization's inner workings or Void Furrow. Who cares if he's still alive? He was someone who the Marines captured before so they'll just do it again."

"Void Furrow is not the same as he once was. He has the power to defeat a Rear Admiral now or is Veri Fresh an Admiral?"

"You better not be saying what I think you're saying," Alexander asked causing the Death God to smile as her ashes once more spiraled around Alexander's body. She could tell she had the guy wrapped around her finger now. She enjoyed this more than her opponent was.

"I think you know what I am saying cause you know I'm right," offered Death God, "Void Furrow killed Veri Fresh and I'm giving you the chance to get revenge on the bastard. However, you seem to be ignoring your own friend's death or how did you put it your 'surrogate father'?"

"I don't think he'll want me to side with you."

"It is possible you are right, but I also think you don't care. You want to get revenge whether that is what Veri Fresh would want or not. Veri Fresh may have been your surrogate father, but let's not forget that your real father was Void Furrow. And since I work with your dear old dad, I know him well and I feel fine saying that your father gave you a little bit of himself. His blood, sweat, and tears went into you and I know you have the same desire."

The young Marine captain paused, looking off to the side. He didn't really care that much for this 'Death God', but he did know for a fact that he didn't like Void Furrow. Just one chance to punch the guy in the face. Then again if Veri Fresh couldn't beat him, could he?

"I'm offering you a chance to revenge your 'father'," Death God whispered to Alexander, "don't think of it as joining up with me. Although if you do want that there is always an opening for a man of your particular skillset."

"I appreciate the offer just like I'm sure you'll appreciate a quick response," Alexander started to respond, but he was quickly silenced as the 'Death God' knocked him onto this butt with a swift leg sweep.

"I don't want you to respond just yet," she stated with a seductive tone to her voice as if she hadn't just knocked Alexander onto his bum. "Go back, rest, think about it, maybe one of your crew mates may be willing to spread a little light on this matter."

"Why would any of them know anything about this?" Alexander asked causing the Death God to once more smile back at him, with her annoyingly all-knowing smile.

"Do you really believe that they don't do a thing without your say-so? They each have their own lives and their own willpower they are each conducting their own search on us and uncovering whatever secrets we left to be discovered," Death God explained, "I imagine their own findings will be of great interest to you."

Alexander nodded, unsure of what to say. However, he figured he'd start with a question. "What kind of findings am I to be expecting?"

The Death god cackled and nodded, "always the inquisitive type just like Void is. He wouldn't wait for answers either. But don't worry I can guarantee your friends are getting answers from a reliable source so you may as well as trust them."

"And I should trust you as well?"

"No, I'd never say that. Trust is something so fickle and so many people abuse it, however, should you be so willing to extend your trust to me I would be more than glad to return the favor. At least for a little while. No need for either one of us to overstay our welcome with the other one, now is there? Or do you still want me around?"

"Get out of my sight," Alexander scoffed at her causing her to laugh back at him

"As long as you remember my offer," she said as her parting words. Once more a stiff breeze blew by taking all of her out of there and leaving Alexander all by himself. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised at times like this a lot of people tried to have people change sides and even scarier a lot of people accepted.

(-With Specter-)

Specter walked through town, toting his impressive Pop Grenade Launcher with him. All-in-all it was a fairly boring day, it seemed like most of the second rate pirates were learning their lessons and all of the first-rate pirates knew better than to come stumbling onto an island filled to the teeth with Marines and other pirates all aiming for the same prize.

Specter stifled a yawn as he sat down in one of the old parks of the island. He had to admit the island was still beautiful despite all of the battles bustling. The trees were still well-maintained, the buildings still had a certain austere appearance to them. Once more Specter felt a certain welling hatred that war had to have claimed this island.

He supposed it was to be expected though. Bad things always seemed to happen to people who don't deserve them. He rested quietly for a little while longer on the bench in the park taking note of the area around him. He was all alone out here once again. Or was he?

Specter chuckled as he leaned back. Perhaps he was recalling a fonder time back before joining up with Alexander when he wouldn't have noticed the signs that he was being watched, wouldn't have heard the scarce breathing of his latest spectator.

However, now he did. Now he was faced with a very hard decision. Did he shoot first or did he wait to see if the person was a friend? Ah, who was Specter kidding?

He always shot first.

Specter was up on his feet, loading his Pop Grenade Launcher with new and improved hand speed. He was fully loaded before he had even taken aim, which took him less than a second to do. From there pulling the trigger was a simple matter and watching his precious, gun-powder filled ball careen towards a hopefully hostile filled the possible psychopath with joy

The small bomb hit a wall, devastating the stone structure and reducing it to rubble within seconds. However, Specter knew enough not to get cocky. Right before his bomb exploded he could make out a shadowy figure escaping with their life. It was a close call though, Specter must've taken them by surprise. Well, did he have another surprise for them. He loaded another Pop Grenade, tracing their steps with both his eyes and his gun.

Another quick shot glazed by his opponent as they began a steady, yet overly cautious approach. Specter could barely make out the form, SHE was obvious a very skilled assassin. She moved in closely and seemed to easily be able to decipher Specter's rather wanton actions. She must've trained with someone similar to Specter in the past. Another gunslinger perhaps?

Whoever, she had trained with she had obviously trained hard enough to close the distance in-between the two of them.

* * *

><p>Another chapter. Still worrying as my backlog for this is shrinking. I don't know what's going on, I suppose Dial Piece and maybe Saga to a certain degree is just eating up all of my writing.<p>

Man, Thursday was hectic as all heck. I mean, it wasn't that bad it was just thirty minutes of rest followed by an hour of some kind of work. It was impossible to get anything done. And then I forgot all about uploading this chapter...including...on...Friday.


	141. Chapter 141 A Revived Assassin

**An Old Friend**

**A Revived Assassin**

The assassin had descended upon Specter with all the skills and style you would expect from a professional. She was quick, she fell upon on him her curved scythe already beginning to sweep through the air, closing in on him. Specter blocked the powerful swing with his Pop Grenade launcher.

He reached down and pulled free another Pop Grenade and gripped tightly in his hand as he thrust it forward aiming at his unknown assailant. The assailant twisted away from him, backing away and aiming a kick at Specters' head while doing so. Specter ducked beneath it, swinging his Pop Grenade Launcher around, using it as a blunt object and smashed it into the assailant's leg, knocking her away.

She recovered quickly, diving beneath the next shot from Specter and closed in with incredible swing, her scythe beginning to arc upwards through the air for the imminent impact with the downwards swing. Specter rolled onto his back, striking up with his boot at the hilt of the scythe, knocking it loose. From there Specter swung his Pop Grenade launcher upwards, jabbing it at his opponent's gut to try and execute another powerful blast. But the assassin hooked the edge of his launcher with her scythe and pulled it to the side, letting the blast loose itself on the nearest wall.

The two of them seemed to be perfectly even in this fight, neither side really seemed to be in it for the win. Both of them had attacks that grew close to each other, but close wasn't good enough. This was a matter of life or death if one or two of their attacks would land, it could easily be the end of the fight. Specter charged upwards, smashing his crossbow up at his opponent and launching a quick blast, but his opponent jumped up, taking to the air, and whipping her entire body to the side, she fell right behind Specter her scythe curving around and locking around Specter's neck, signaling the end of the match.

"It looks like you leveled up nicely," whispered the girl into Specter's ear, causing the mad gunslinger to smile and nod.

"What can I say? Being on a crew is good for me," Specter replied calmly, "how about you? Is it nice being back on your original path? Or does still being a Marine ruin it for you?" Specter chuckled causing the woman to withdraw her scythe from his neck. "Nice to see you again, Akane."

"Back at you, Specter," stated the girl as she withdrew herself and moved a few steps away. "Been doing well?"

"As good as you can be with a man like Alexander leading you."

"So, extremely well, then, huh?" she stated more than asked as she swept her skirt beneath her and sat down on the nearby bench. Specter chuckled for a second before nodding.

"Yeah, yeah, can't complain. And you? Being surrounded by murderers, thieves, and killers?" Specter asked.

"Feels like I'm back home." Akane stated letting Specter getting his small chuckle in before turning serious, "however, not everything can go well. There is currently a plan underway to take down the Admirals."

"Good. They are going to need it cause nothing is going to take those Admirals down."

"That's right, I thought so too until I talked to the Gods of Taka. Those monsters are well on the same level as the Admirals. I can't believe it one inch, but the monster was there was a destructive force. Hai Ayako, Void Furrow, and Sylver Turns. Each one of these are so powerful that I believe the only person who may stand a chance against them are the Admirals."

Specter rolled his head to the side with a wide smile on his face. Akane was always a big believer. The girl was a good fighter so he trusted her assessment, but she never been with the Admirals in the same room. The strength the three of them radiated together was unlike any other beast. No, unlike any other force. The aura the three exhibited were like a hurricane.

"The reason why I am telling you this is because I seriously do worry for the Admiral's well-being," Akane explained once more, "I know they are strong, but these Gods are not called Gods because they misspelled the words dogs. Their strength is God-like and just as varied. Death, Science, and Elder. Those were the titles they were bestowed.

"Death God, Hai Ayako ate the Yomi-Yomi no mi and was returned to life after being cremated. Her body is a swirling mass of ashes. No physical form means physical blows are unlikely to injure in the slightest. Following that the Science God, Void Furrow continues to perform experiments on his own body to increase his own powers again and again. I cannot even begin to fathom the next level of his strength and it only seems to increase again and again after every experiment. The Elder God, Sylver, formed Taka and technically had it formed before the other two had. He is a fiend who survived in a job that only about one in ten people survives per month. And he's survived for more than 80 years."

"You expect me the great Specter Carambole to be afraid of some old geezer?"

"That same old geezer decimated islands with a flick of his fingers. Nothing can stand in his way. People have said that he is the latest and greatest weapon of our time. The files the Marines possess on him are nothing compared to what he is truly capable of doing and what he has already done."

"I know me and you go way back, but I can't just take your word for such a thing. On the level of the Marine Admirals? Greatest weapon? The Marines databases don't quite fill up to what they are capable of? I want to trust you, but this is a bit much."  
>"Reality often exceeds fantasies," Akane countered causing Specter to sigh.<p>

"Yeah, but," stammered Specter as he bit his lip. He finally relented. "Let's say I do agree with you, why are you telling me all of this now? Shouldn't you go to the higher ups? Or maybe I don't know wait to gather real proof."

"The higher-ups are like you," Akane stated as she moved over to the bench Specter had been sitting on. "They don't believe me without any concrete proof. They say I'm just over-estimating them as I'm like a fly in a spider's nest. Enemy's all around me, unable to take a breath of fresh air. But I needed to tell someone. They are planning on killing the Admirals. One god per Admiral that's the test."

"Aren't they forgetting about the Fleet Admiral?" asked Specter, "we got other men to fill the place of the Admirals many people anxious to rank up."

"They're just getting started. The death of the Fleet Admiral is only one death still. They need to kill people who will get noticed and kill enough of them. The death of all three Admirals will be a good message."

"Still its impossible," stated Specter, "the Admirals are too strong."

"No. Ultimately the weakness of the Marines is that the people all trust one another," Akane stated, "if someone within the Marines were to attack an Admiral there guard would be lowered for a split second."

"Nobody would willing fight an Admiral even with that split second, they would freeze up. Their bodies turn to stone at the thought of fighting someone like that. Even the most evil man couldn't summon the courage to attack an Admiral without an ounce of hesitation."

"Unless they were to do so unconsciously if someone else was to control them."

"Or zombies," Specter mocked, "sorry, I thought we were naming impossibilities! Be real. Fighting in your sleep is a goddamn myth."

"There is someone amongst Taka's whose abilities is exactly as we've said. The ability to turn anybody he can operate on into a walking zombie. The ability to imprint one order onto the brain of someone. Salvia Divinorum."

"I remember that name," Specter stated, "he's been found out a couple times as a murderer. I think we even arrested him once, but some random Marine let him out."

"Exactly," Akane stated. "He places needles in the people's brains and these needles are placed on parts of the brain to cause sudden spikes when a part of the brain is triggered. That example is exactly the best case of his Sleeper Cell Needle. Whenever they hear about his arrest the needles activate and the person he implanted the needle into will immediately come to his rescue."

"You're insane. How does that apply to kiling an Admiral?"

"The visual cortex. When the human eye comes to rest on a face a certain part of the visual cortex gets stimulated and it can stimulated even further under exact conditions. He can mimic those and cause the needle to activate upon sight with one Admiral. In other words, when the sleeper cell sees the Admiral. It triggers and he kills him."

"Get real," Specter stated, "what you're saying is someone would need to allow this Salvia Divinorum person to operate on him and no one in the Marines is stupid enough or weak enough to let someone do that."

(-With Dale-)

Salvia Divinorum straddled Dale, pressing his legs down against Dale's arms. "Its a shame," muttered Salvia, "you're my fourth victim. Impromptu triggers like that damn Nicholas' picture on the wall keep triggering my needles prematurely. So I had to keep editing them. Its hard to go two steps without someone bringing up his poster. Crying, fucking shame. He's been living on borrowed time for awhile now though. And I intend to fix that."

"Get off me!" shouted Dale. His arms were pinned, his bow and arrow knocked out of his hand. He didn't have too many choices left. He was out of options. No, he still had one left. A final trick left up his sleeve that was only for emergencies. He hadn't used it in god knows how long. He almost used against Kaos, but then Alexander showed up. "Or else!" Dale quickly added onto that biting with his next word.

"Sadly, I do not believe you are in any position to make any demands," Salvia stated as he picked up a needle from his pouch. You see my friend I ate the Pierce-Pierce no mi. With it I can make my needles pierce any surface and have them sink right in where I want them to go, including right to your brain. So as far as I'm concerned you are on my operating table."

"I'm fairly certain you are on mine," Dale bit back at Salvia, causing the man to chuckle. "If you don't get off of me right this instant I am going to begin a very painful procedure."

"Looks like we are both the same kind of doctor. Too bad we are not the same kind of patient for I am not a man who likes to bluff!" shouted Salvia as his hand shot forward, thrusting the needle at Dale's head.

However, moments before Salvia came into contact with Dale he was throw off. A searingly hot air bursting through and around him forced Salvia to come down and back onto the ground. Savlia was a very skilled assassin though. Even if he didn't always had to get his hands dirty he was still good at what he did even hand-to-hand combat was merely another mark on his resume. Still he looked at Dale with a great worry in his eyes. The kid still had some secret weapon up his sleeve apparently.

* * *

><p>I...just forgot. Whenever I planned to update the story...I just found myself with no time to do so and then when I had time...I forgot. Simple as that.<p> 


	142. Chapter 142 Detonation

**The Detonation**

Salvia was carefully examining his opponent. He could tell that his opponent didn't much care for combat, which gave him an unexpected edge. Dale was a bookworm, but he was still in decent physical shape, however, even decent physical shape was just a little bit too low for Salvia's standards. Salvia guessed Dale had some of the most basic fundamentals of fighting pounded into him due to his status as a Marine, but even that didn't scare him.

Dale had already notched another arrow, though he was hesitant to fire it. His opponent was obviously more skilled than he was and much more importantly more experienced. Salvia didn't rush in despite Dale's weapon having an advantage of range. He was carefully examining his opponent and making sure he didn't make a mistake. An overly cautious approach, but Dale supposed it was a good thing for him as he could now take a couple of seconds to breathe easy.

Salvia, however, didn't need that time. A quick burst of back-to-back needles rained from his hand towards Dale. Dale rolled to the side, taking this time to launch one of his arrows squarely for Salvia's head. However, it came up short as the assassin simply moved to the side at a frightening speed.

Salvia had already reloaded from his previous attack and was launching another barrage of needles while Dale was still notching his arrow. It appeared that in reaction time and in reload speed Salvia had the slight upperhand. True Dale's arrow moved faster that Salvia's needles, but Savlia had two hands with which he could fire at least four needles at a time, so even his attacking speed seemed to outpace poor Dale's bow and arrow.

It was harder to gauge the fight in terms of destructive power as neither player really seemed to be a power type like Alexander. They relied more on the proper placement of their attacks which meant the slightest dodge could render a one-hit kill blow into nothing more than pinprick. However, that being said a pinprick from Dale's arrow would definitely hurt and gouge a lot more than one from Salvia's needles.

That was, but a small difference though.

Salvia had already remounted his attacks while the two eagerly moved about in order to decrease their opponent's accuracy. "**Raining Needles!" **shouted Salvia, thrusting his small needles into the air to create a disastrous new attack. With the sky now blacked out from a new deluge of sharp needles Dale couldn't escape this attack by running or dodging.

Dale made a mad dash for the door. Inside the ship there would be no space for Salvia's raining needles. It would be just the break Dale needed. He rolled forward, stretching out with his leg to kick the door open and then rolling right into the safety of the ship's hallway. He ran back over and slammed the door shut. Taking his distance once more he aimed at the door, ready for the moment that Salvia opened it. For that would be the same moment Dale fired his arrow and pierced Salvia. Any form of chip damage was better than no damage at all.

There was one problem with Dale's approach though. In the heat of the moment as Dale had narrowly avoided Salvia's attack it appeared he had forgotten about what truly made Salvia into a deadly foe. For it wasn't simply his skills as a fighter which he was known for, but his Devil Fruit. The Pierce-Pierce no mi. A Devil Fruit which gave his needles a near infinite piercing ability. In other words a wall between him and his opponent meant nothing.

Salvia whipped his arm forward and let loose a brand new rain of powerful needles each one embedded with the power of his Devil Fruit. The needles hit the door and slipped right on through, leaving barely noticeable holes in the door, but even worse there was now a storm of needles flying straight down the narrow hallway and for Dale.

Dale only had a few seconds to react giving the piercing ability Salvia had he doubted he could block any of the attacks with a piece of wood. Indeed it was becoming obvious to Dale that he would have to dodge the attacks, not block them. He rolled to the side, presing himself up against the wall and taking extra care to make sure his head didn't get skewered. While most of the needles passed harmlessly by him a few of them did find their ways into his arms and legs. He supposed he should count himself lucky that the door blocked Salvia's view and as a result impeded his accuracy.

However, that wasn't enough to stop Salvia from launching another hornet's nest worth of attacks. The piercing needles practically leapt from his hands in a rapid-fire fashion as he flicked them out one-by-one. It was reminiscent of a machine gun, if machine guns tore through walls like butter than maybe they were exactly the same, but as it was obvious here. There was a large difference between the two weapons. Of course, that difference leaned heavily in favor of Salvia's weapon.

The small needles ripped into the room in a straight line one right after another. Dale rolled to the side, diving out of the way and into one of the nearest rooms. He straightened his back up and slammed the door shut. He had a few brief seconds to breathe now that he was out of the way. However, those relieved breathing quickly turned into panicking gasps as he realized he was trapped. This room only had one exit and he was willing to bet that Salvia already had a lock on it.

The door to the outside of the ship creaked open, but it didn't close. Dale supposed that gave him a chance to escape back to the outside, but even then he would first have to get past Salvia who was already stalking down the halls. Dale was hard-pressed to escape.

Salvia took his time walking down the halls. His eyes fell from one closed door to the next. As if calculating the odds of Dale running and hiding behind each one he paused and hesitated without opening a single one. He seemed to be examining them for the possibility of hiding his enemy. Salvia was not someone who was in to making mistakes. He took careful precautions.

Salvia quickly unsheathed another array of sharp needles as he walked down the hall. Another quick burst of his needles drill through the walls and flew all the way through to the other side. He selected the wrong room, but he had quite a few more chances. He had already began to reload his weapon. The small needles slid down and into his hands.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," Salvia stated as he stalked through the halls, "ordinarily I would just leave you alone. After all you are not my target, but sadly as this is a war any information the Marines have over us is definitely not a good thing. I must exterminate any one who I deem a hindrance to our mission." Another barrage of needles were fired from Savlia's hand, piercing the wall and sliding through to the other side.

Salvia had guessed the wrong room again, but ultimately he didn't mind. Saliva had a near infinite number of chances to kill Dale and he didn't care if he missed one or two. As a matter of fact, he still had his ultimate technique right now. Salvia smiled and shook his head. "Since you're not coming out of the ship I'll just have to sink the whole thing!"

Dale perked up at that. He moved over and closer to the door to see if he heard him right. Sinking the entire ship would take a lot of damage. Did Salvia have a few secret weapons up his sleeve or something?

"I guess you didn't hear me," Salvia stated as he picked up his needle and tossed it straight down, this time the small needle pierced all the way down and into the ocean. "My Devil Fruit power gives me the ability to pierce anything. In other words the bottom of this ship will be like Swiss cheese unless you hand yourself over to me."

Dale didn't know how many holes Salvia would need to sink the ship quickly, but he knew that Salvia wasn't joking. His power was definitely made for such a dirty job. Not only that, but water was already beginning to leak onto the ship from Salvia's last attack so there was already a timer on their lives. Dale supposed Salvia had his friends nearby to drag him out of the ocean if need be. However, Dale wasn't so lucky. Who knows where the rest of his crew was.

He notched another arrow and took aim at the door. Although he didn't really know why. The encroaching doom and gloom feeling around told him he would have to make a move soon. But what possible move could he make? Surely Alexander could just rush at him ignorant of the damage and Specter would probably just blow a hole in the wall and take aim at Salva from there. However, Dale didn't have any possibly counters to this guy's attack patterns.

Dale sighed and stood up. He would have to push his luck a little, but then when didn't they have to do such a thing. The story of perseverance in the face of the worst, that was the Marine's story. Dale knocked his door open and then quickly hid behind the wall crouching. Salvia was a master tactician. He would've noticed the door being opened and in that moment thousand of different ideas would enter his head. He would wonder if it was a trap, if it was the wind. A split second of hesitation and that would be enough for Dale to take advantage of.

Dale rolled out into the open, his bow already drawn and he fired quickly. Salvia twisted around, letting the arrow take his shoulder, but protecting any vital organs from the incoming arrow. Salvia quickly ripped the arrow out and produced another set of needles. However, to Salvia's surprise Dale didn't run and hide again. He rushed forward, grabbing an arrow and drawing closer.

Salvia unleashed his blizzard of needles down the line, but Dale rolled forward, beneath the storm, quickly loading another arrow and taking aim. Dale felt a few of the needles dig into his heel and leg as he did so, but he had a good lock on his opponent now with his arrow. A quick burst of his bowstring sent the arrow rocketing forward for his opponent.

Salvia barely managed to dodge the incoming arrow by the barest of margins. He would've returned to the offensive, if it wasn't for the fact that Dale had already pressed himself deep into Salvia's personal space. Salvia was uncertain of what was going on, given his opponent's weapon he would've pegged Dale for a mostly distance fighter, but for some reason he wanted to fight him from this distance.

Salvia paused for a second as he tried to figure out what happened as Dale pushed his arms beneath Salvia's and grabbed onto him around his torso. Salvia looked down at him, a bit questioningly. "Out of our depth already? Going for some sort of kamikaze."

"Kind of," stated Dale amidst a growl. "An old Devil Fruit power I obtained during a story I'd rather not relive."

"Are you trying to scare me?" asked Salvia with a proud chuckle, "I'm an assassin. It'll take more than idle chit-chat and empty threats to frighten me."

"Then I have bad news for you, cause this isn't one!" Dale countered as he took a deep breath in. "Detonation activated. Countdown commenced." Salvia scoffed once more, but to his surprise he felt an extreme heat beginning to emanate from his opponent. Salvia shivered a little bit as he did sense a newfound power welling up in Dale.

"Say hello to my Devil Fruit power! The Hakai-Hakai no mi*!"

* * *

><p>*Hakai = Destruction<p>

Just another little update. I didn't want to immediately introduce Dale's powers until further. I wanted to leave a lot of it out so I can bring it in later.


	143. Chapter 143 Void and Dale

**Dale and Void**

"_It was hard to believe," _Dale thought as he kicked his head back and looked over at the fallen assassin. Dale was never someone who would be considered talent personified. That title belonged to his two siblings.

He was the youngest of triplets in a Marine family. Ryan, Annabeth, and him. They were all forced to go in to the Marines to continue the family lineage. He supposed he was the only one really 'forced' though. Dale and Annabeth both loved the Marines fully, neither one of them spending a single one of their waking minutes doing anything, but training. Dale slacked off and skipped training whenever he could. He was considered the bad egg of the bunch.

Nobody even gave him a second glance. Not even his own parents. They each lauded over the first two kids, praising them with every fiber of their being. Dale was kind of ignored. Surrounded by two genius siblings the same age as him, off by mere minutes, he was cast into the shadows. That was probably why he had such a low opinion of himself and being shown up by Ryan and Annabeth at every corner probably didn't help.

Ryan was considered a natural born Marine. He possessed both heightened combat abilities as well as an upstanding moral compass. He ate a Devil Fruit and became a legend within the Marines, taking down students at the academy that were there for four or five years longer than him. Even teachers knew better than to pick a fight with him. Of course, Ryan wasn't a bad guy. He never gloated about his victories or picked fights with people who didn't deserve it. He was soon considered a 'God' of the Marine Academy.

As soon as possible he took up a position at Zenith Gaol. The Warden welcomed him with open arms and when it became evident that neither the Warden nor Vice Warden position would ever open up to him. They fabricated a position for him just where his name could be hung on the door. 'The Sun God, Apollo' was what the prisoners and prison guards called him. And that was the kind of shadow Dale had to overcome.

Annabeth was something else. She wasn't weak by any means, especially not with her Devil Fruit power, but her true calling was always behind a desk. A politician to the core nobody could stay mad at her and the people who did...well, 'something' always made them change their mind when it came to voting for school president. She was unanimously voted in for three years in a row. During the fourth year it was stated that they didn't even hold elections and just gave it to her.

Joining the Marines didn't change anything. She quickly rose through the ranks and semi-retired. She was still an official member of the Marines, some Vice Admiral, but she spent most of her days handling the more political side of things rather than putting her neck on the chopping block during battle.

Dale lived his entire life in the shadows of these two being and as much as he hated to admit it. He didn't think such a thing would ever change. Until he met Void Furrow, the scientific genius he was back then, not the criminal mastermind he was executed as. It was no exaggeration to say Dale's life changed that day.

(-5 years ago-)

"Purchase as many Devil Fruits as you possibly can, we are going to advancing the human race," Void Furrow stated into the Den-Den Mushi. He had about fifty men all scouring the globe in search for Devil Fruits. He really only wanted another Hito-Hito no mi, but telling them that might give them crazy ideas to hoard the Devil Fruit or try to sell it to Void Furrow for a ridiculous price tag. Besides its not like the World Government didn't need more Devil Fruits.

He looked over at his lone apprentice. Apparently the young Dale Marrow hadn't picked an occupation to go into yet and as a result he was being shuffled around Marine Bases to work with the best and the brightest. His parents held substantial pull, so they could get their little boy into any section they wanted.

This didn't concern Void though. He was only here for science even if they robbed him all of his assistants, gave him millions of them, took away his lab, gave him a lab with the best and most expensive technology he would still do what he did. Cause he loved to do it.

Void turned around and faced Dale once more. He was hanging in the back of the room like a phantom, it rather grated on Void's nerves. He hurried over to the nearest stack of books and picked one of them up. He tossed it over and into Dale's lap. "Get reading. If you are going to be doing nothing, you may as well do something productive."

Dale picked it up and looked at it as if it was a dead rat. "This is an extremely high level medical book. People go to med school for ten years and still don't understand the contents."

"Then that book should keep you busy and out of my hair for at least eleven years," Void muttered as he went back to work, calibrating the last few marks. This was going to be the very first run of the Hito-Hito no mi birth. Void expected nothing short of excellency. A first-run attempt and success! Void rushed back over to the machine and began pulling on a select number of levers.

Dale paused and looked up at Void as he did his rushing about. Dale got up and moved over to him and watched him work. He looked wonderfully interested in the work even though Dale had no idea on what he was doing. There was a certain spark in Void's eyes as he busied himself. The young doctor smiled and shook his head as he walked up to the levers.

"If you are going to stand there make yourself useful," Void stated before pausing and looking at Dale, "oh, who am I kidding? I'm talking to a Marrow."

"Excuse me?" Dale asked as he walked up Void. "My family is one of the highest reaching Marine families there is. I'm not saying we have a member in the Gorosei or anything, but I'm pretty sure we're not just a Marrow."

"Yes, yes, I know. Vice Admirals, politicians, jailers, fighters, champions, your family legacy is very impressive when it comes to the boring and mundane tasks."

Dale raised an eyebrow. What the hell did he mean by that?

Void sighed, "see, I have to spell it out for you. It proves my point." Once more Dale said nothing, just gave Void a very questioning look until Void threw his hands up into the air in exasperation and continued to explain, "your family has never once given birth to a doctor or a scientist. Just a bunch of basic knuckle-draggers. Your entire family could be replaced with gorillas and there wouldn't be much of a difference."

"Really? You believe politicians could be replaced with gorillas?"

"Yes, and I believe it would be an improvement," Void countered causing Dale to flinch, he had him there.

"Whose to say I'm not first?" asked Dale as he crossed his arm and challenged Void's claim. Void paused and took a few steps back, looking Dale up and down.

"Exactly my point," Void pointed out. "Your genetics are made up of your father's and mother's genetics whose genetics are made up of their mother's and father's and theirs theirs. And so on and so forth. In other words the gene to become a doctor does not exist in your family if it was there your family would've given birth to a doctor years ago."

"So," Dale stated as he walked over to his seat and picked up the book Void had tossed at him earlier. "You're saying that me becoming a doctor would basically be me challenging my entire family lineage?"

Void paused for a second as his ears pricked up at that. "I-I suppose so," Void stated with a chuckle. "I guess it is entirely possible for you to become a doctor. After all there's nothing that gets things done quicker than an idiot out to prove himself. Just look at the last pirate king."

"Most people wouldn't use a pirate as an example," Dale pointed out causing Void to chuckle once more.

"People can quibble about the morality and justice of the issue all they want, but the bottom line is he got things done. You can argue about his methods, you can argue about his results, but you can't argue about how much he's got done," Void stated calmly, "efficiency sometimes justifies both the means and the ends."

"I think most people would argue with that."

"As long as I can accomplish what I set out to accomplish, nothing else matters," Void stated with a chilling laugh. "That's my opinion on my life. I refuse to die until I'm done with my legacy! That's the voice that this new era needs! With the old Pirate King dead and nobody really stepping up to claim the title yet the people of this world seem to have gotten lax, nobody really seems to be able to accomplish much any more. I imagine its cause people have lost their spirit." Void paused as he seemed to contemplate his own words.

"Yes," Void muttered. He turned around and saw Dale, remembering that his work was supposed to be top secret he stayed quiet, but he continued the thought in his head. _"That should be the very highest priority when I make the world's first artificial human. A lot of spirit."_

Void paused as he began to recline a bit. That would take a bit of modification to his current plan, but it would mean very little to him to create a shabby creation. New calibrations would have to be made. He looked at his watch and sighed. "I have another meeting today. I am supposed to meet with your sister for some reason."

Void looked over at his bin of Devil Fruits. He wandered over and picked one of them up and tossed it around in his hand for a second before tossing it over to Dale. "Unless I'm mistaken your brother and sister each have a Devil Fruit, right? Gifts from your father and mother. However, you never got one. Here have a gift from me."

"What about your research?" asked Dale. "Don't you need Devil Fruits to complete your research?"

Void Furrow smiled and nodded. "Devil Fruits don't really grow on trees, but possessing a few extra ones won't make a difference. After all, with my genius I'll get it in one."

Dale nodded and accepted the Devil Fruit. He hesitated before taking a bite of it. He had no reason to distrust Void and in all honesty with everything he heard about Void there was never even the thought that Void was the psychopath that he turned out to be at his execution. Dale wasn't quite sure of what the Devil Fruit power was, but he still trusted Void fully.

The Devil Fruit was the Hakkai-Hakki no mi. It was a Devil Fruit which granted Dale the ability to self-destruct like a bomb. While it seemed like an incredibly ridiculous power which should never be used it was actually quite powerful. Dale's body would remain uninjured regardless of how often he used the power. The problem was the detonation size.

He couldn't use it against Kaos due to the fact that the size of the explosion would've engulfed the dock beneath his feet and sent him falling into the ocean and worse it could've spread over to the docks that were supporting Olivia and the rest of them. Regardless of that fact he still fought though. Without his Devil Fruit power, surrounded by something that could kill. Dale supposed that was just the Void Furrow's idea of spirit living on in him.

* * *

><p>Ta-Da! Another chapter being churned out and once again we get to see a bit more of Void's and Dale's past.<p> 


End file.
